The Kwara Command of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Friday in Ilorin held a sensitisation programme to further enlighten on the fight against human trafficking.
Speaking at a symposium to commemorate the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the Kwara Commander of NAPTIP, Saadu Mustapha-Ajara, said more was still needed in enlightening the public.
The symposium was organised by the office of the wife of Kwara Governor, Dr Olufolake AbdulRazaq, in conjunction with the Kwara Taskforce on Human Trafficking.
Mustapha-Ajara said human trafficking was a worldwide form of exploitation in which men, women and children were bought, sold and held against their will.
“NAPTIP is a Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility of coordinating all the nation’s crime prevention and law enforcement resources to stamp out human trafficking and uplift the vulnerable from exploitative tendencies.
“Some of the victims were lured by the traffickers with a good standard of living, financial stability and sponsorship of any kind to make sure that they agreed to their terms.
”So, in the fight against human trafficking, all of us are stakeholders, and in order to put a stop to it, (we should) report cases of trafficking in our area to NAPTIP.
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“Using children as a maid for house chores without sending them to schools is modern-day slavery and it is a crime,” he said.
The Commander appealed to the state government to provide an operational vehicle and shelter for the agency to ease their operatives’ movement in arresting traffickers.
Earlier, AbdulRazaq who was represented by Alhaji Ariyo Opeloyeru, the Manager of Ajike People’s Support Centre, had said: “We need to be sensitive to all about human trafficking and we must put a stop to it.”
AbdulRazaq said human trafficking was a form of modern-day slavery which must stop in the society.
The Governor’s wife, who is also the Founder of Ajike People’s Support Centre, said that was one of the purposes the centre was created for.
She added that human trafficking was one of the most horrendous crimes committed, especially when it involves children.
AbdulRazaq said further that the campaign against human trafficking should be everybody’s business if the society wants to put an end to human trafficking.
“Government can not do it alone. The non-governmental organisations, philanthropists and activists, as well as others, need to support the fight against human trafficking,” she said.
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