The Nigerian Senate has called for stricter tenancy regulations requiring landlords to verify the identities of prospective tenants, including through their National Identification Numbers (NIN), as part of efforts to combat human trafficking, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

The upper chamber also urged the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant agencies, to investigate travel agencies allegedly involved in trafficking and exploiting Nigerians abroad.

The proposed investigations are expected to examine recruitment networks, financial transactions and travel arrangements connected to suspected trafficking activities.

Lawmakers also called for legislation to regulate short-let apartments, warning that criminals could exploit rental properties where occupants are not properly identified.

The resolutions followed the consideration of a report on protecting Nigerians from trafficking, slavery and human rights abuses in Libya. The report was presented by the Senate Committees on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Foreign Affairs, and Special Duties.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio argued that landlords who rent properties to unidentified individuals could unknowingly provide cover for criminal operations.

He called for a review of existing laws to ensure that tenants could be properly identified and traced when necessary.

Former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, said he had initiated similar legislation while serving as Speaker of a State House of Assembly.

Tambuwal advocated provisions covering tenant registration, rent control and security checks. He also stressed the need for landlords to establish proof of ownership of their properties.

He urged the National Assembly to encourage state legislatures to adopt similar measures, while Senator Babangida Hussaini, representing Jigawa North-West, pointed to Lagos State’s existing legislation as a possible model.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, in his contribution, highlighted the organised nature of human trafficking, noting that international networks and foreign collaborators often play significant roles in the crime.

He stressed the need to address demand for trafficked persons in destination countries