To curtail the activities of scammers, human traffickers, and kidnappers, the Nigerian Senate has called for tighter tenancy regulations that would compel landlords to properly verify the identities of prospective tenants, including through their National Identification Numbers (NIN).
Senate President Godswill Akpabio argued that landlords who rent properties to unidentified individuals could unknowingly provide shelter for criminal activities. He therefore called for existing tenancy laws to be reviewed so tenants can be properly identified and traced when necessary.
The lawmakers also urged relevant security and government agencies to investigate travel agencies allegedly involved in the trafficking and exploitation of Nigerians abroad.
The Senate directed the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), alongside the police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies, to examine alleged recruitment networks, financial transactions and travel arrangements linked to trafficking.
The lawmakers further proposed legislation to regulate short-let apartments, warning that criminals could exploit unverified rental arrangements to conceal their identities and evade detection.
The resolutions followed the consideration of a report on protecting Nigerians from trafficking, slavery and human rights abuses in Libya.
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