The Ogun State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has called on residents of border communities to work closely with relevant authorities to prevent human trafficking and violence against persons.
The Punch reported that the agency also cautioned Nigerians against falling for online recruitment schemes and other enticing offers that could be used by traffickers to lure unsuspecting victims.
It noted that trafficking had evolved to include sexual exploitation, organ harvesting, sextortion and child trafficking.
The Ogun State Commander of NAPTIP, Bose Jimoh, made the call on Friday during a two-day town hall meeting and community engagement on Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons held in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area.
The programme, organised in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, brought together traditional and religious leaders, community development committees, youth groups, market women, transport workers, security agencies and other stakeholders.
Jimoh said the engagement was designed to equip community members with the knowledge required to recognise and report suspected trafficking cases.
“Victims of human trafficking are usually recruited from the communities for exploitation within or outside the country.
“Hence, the capacity building which is being done in partnership with ICMPD and funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands is to ensure that these key stakeholders are well equipped with sufficient information so that when they see the red flags, they can quickly raise the alarm and get such cases of human trafficking reported, and action will be taken immediately.
“And it is also important to say that Idiroko being a border community is very critical. That is where most victims of human trafficking are usually taken through one of our major international borders,” he stated.
Jimoh further warned that traffickers were continually developing new tactics to exploit their victims, urging residents to remain alert and promptly report suspicious activities.
Also speaking, the Project Officer of ICMPD and coordinator of the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project, Samuel Okoroji, said the engagement was part of efforts to raise awareness among residents of border communities about trafficking and violence against persons.
He explained that ICMPD was implementing two projects under the initiative: the Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons project and the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project.
Okoroji said Idiroko was chosen for the engagement because border communities were particularly vulnerable to trafficking due to their position as entry and exit points.
“We have come to this community to enlighten everyone, especially along the border corridors, because we discovered that the border corridor is a very strategic place for trafficking because of the international entry and exit,” he said.
He added that the town hall meeting was intended to encourage community involvement in preventing, reporting and referring trafficking and violence cases, as well as supporting the arrest and prosecution of offenders.
Okoroji said the engagement would also result in a communique through which stakeholders would collectively condemn trafficking and violence against persons in Idiroko and neighbouring communities.
He added that ICMPD and its partners would provide stakeholders with a compendium of service providers in Ogun State to facilitate the referral of trafficking and violence cases and assist victims.
The Ajiroba of Idiroko, Chief Afolabi Ogunsina, commended NAPTIP and ICMPD for the initiative, saying the training would enhance community participation in the fight against human trafficking.
At the close of the meeting, the 102 participants resolved to intensify preventive measures through sustained awareness campaigns in religious centres, schools, markets and other public spaces.
They also agreed to discourage factors contributing to trafficking and violence against persons in Ogun State, including harmful cultural and religious practices.
The participants further resolved to strengthen surveillance within the communities, particularly along transit routes, to detect and report suspicious activities associated with trafficking and violence against persons to the appropriate authorities.
