The National Council for Child Rights Advocates of Nigeria (NACCRAN) has accused the Nigerian Consular in Mali of making defamatory statements against its officials.
The Council, in a release, appealed to the Federal Government to call the Consular in Mali, Mr Ugochukwu Chime, to order on the account of his alleged defamatory statements against its officers.
The Council also threatened to expose and report Chime in its next report to the United Nations (UN) in January 2025, if nothing was done to nip his alleged act in the bud.
The South-West Coordinator of NACCRAN, Mr. Samson Olapade Adefioye, made the allegation in a statement on Thursday.
He spoke on the efforts by NACCRAN at combating child trafficking to Mali as well as hindrances it is facing from the Office of the Nigeria Minister/Consular in Mali.
The NACCRAN zonal coordinator demanded an unreserved apology from Nigerian Consular in Mali, Mr Chime, for his alleged recent defamatory statement against its officers.
Adefioye implored the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), not to allow the past struggles of the Council against child trafficking to be wasted.
He said this could be done by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government by calling to order Chime, whose actions, he said, may puncture the efforts.
The NACCRAN zonal coordinator acknowledged the professional services of the NIA Director General, Ambassador Muhammed Muhammed and his counterpart at DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, for their efforts at combating child trafficking in the country.
He lauded President Bola Tinubu for maintaining listening ears to the cries of Nigerians and exhibiting an open-door policy since his assumption of office.
Adefioye also spoke on the efforts of NACCRAN aimed at combating child trafficking to the West African countries.
According to him, President Tinubu has, ever since he was the governor of Lagos State, been a leader with a godly passion for the plight of the led.
He said there was no time when Tinubu, as a governor, would hear of anyone suffering without him stepping in to solve the problem, let alone now that he is the president of the country.
The NACCRAN zonal coordinator said Tinubu deserved commendation for “putting up a progressive team of ministers who shares the same burden to move Nigeria forward and, as a result, project the country’s good image to the world, to work with him.”
Adefioye also commended NAPTIP Director General and his staff for their cooperation and support in the fight against child trafficking.
He thanked the Minister Of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice; Director General, Human Rights Commission, directors and staffs in the ministries for their support to the NACCRAN in the fight against child trafficking in West Africa.
Speaking on its activities since inception, Adefioye said the National Council of Child Rights Advocates Nigeria (NACCRAN) was established in 2005 during the tenure of President Olusegun.
He said it was established by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in conjunction with United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), to ease the plight of children and to better their lives and consequently upgrading the lives of women and youths along the course.
Adefioye disclosed that NACCRAN was then grouped into six geopolitical zones, adding that the South-West Zone has been operating along with other zones hitherto and have, relentlessly, along with others, promoted the rights of the child.
He said the assiduous work of NACCRAN was noticed by the United Nations (UN) in 2011, when it was awarded a special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and has since been writing quarterly reports on its activities being one of its duties.
