Niger State has been identified by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters to be a major source of recruitment of children for labour exploitation.
The Executive Secretary of NAPTIP, Beatrice Jedy Agbam said this on Thursday.
Agbam said children from the state are regularly trafficked to other parts of the country.
While speaking at a one-day community dialogue/sensitization on human trafficking in Minna, the Niger State capital, Agba observed with dismay that the human traffickers go deep into the nooks and crannies of the villages, targeting unsuspecting families to source for their victims.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by Ameaze Onigwe, lamented that parents are often in denial as to the real effect of trafficking and child labour, stating that they often rationalize trafficking their children on the grounds that it will give them better opportunities.
According to her: “We advice parents to have a rethink as these children are often exploited and passed through immense and dehumanizing circumstances once they leave the comfort of our homes and the safety of our protection.
“Experience shows that these children are often sexually and morally abused and end up worse than they were at home.”
Agbam then enjoined all stakeholders to increase and sustain their commitments by ensuring that all hands are on deck to checkmate the assault on human dignity.
She stressed that the consequences of human trafficking are quite enormous and dangerous to the society.
She urged the Niger State Government to continue to make qualitative education accessible to all children and vigorously pursue the realization of effective poverty alleviation schemes.
She also called on local councils to compliment the efforts of the state government through oversight of identified environment of exploitation in their locality.
Condemning trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, Agbam said: “Poverty cannot be used as an excuse to use our fellow citizens for exploitation of the worst kind, for selfish financial benefits.
“There is nothing that cannot be achieved if we all raise our voices as one.”
The overseeing Commissioner of Gender Affairs in Niger State, Hajiya Hadiza Abdullahi, advised parents against giving out their children for trafficking.
Abdullahi said that there is a need to join hands to confront the monster called human trafficking.
Abdullahi, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Princess Racheal Yisa, stated that government at all levels must do its best to ensure that sustainable measures are taken to guard against continuous perpetration of human trafficking.
She further said that victims rescued from human trafficking in the state are usually taught skills training in soap making, shea butter extraction, sewing, knitting, bead making and tie-dye, while their parents are sensitized on the dangers of child trafficking.
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