7th September, 2012
The Zonal Coordinator, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Matters, NAPTIP, Mr. Odetunde Taofeek, has sought public support to check the activities of human traffickers.
Taofeek made the call in Ibadan Thursday during the sensitisation programme on the evil associated with human trafficking and child labour.
Mr. Taofeek stated that traffickers had devised a new means to lure their victims, stressing that the menace of the traffickers should be tackled early before it degenerates.
“The new recruitment methods are the use of false modelling recruitment agencies and social media such as facebook, twitter, and hi5. Other ways are immigration/visa assistance and securing foreign football contracts,” he said.
Lamenting the high rate of trafficking and child labour in Nigeria, Odetunde said: “A 2003 Federal office of Statistics and International Labour Organisation study estimates that there are about 15m children in child labour in Nigeria. These children could easily be forced into prostitution or trafficked externally.”
He said poverty is identified as the primary factor sustaining human trafficking and child labour in Nigeria and attributed human trafficking to poverty and weak economy.
The Managing Director, Fan Milk Plc., Mr. Steen Hardsbjerg, who was represented on the occasion by the Personnel Administrative Manager, Mr. Kamaru Adekola, said efforts at curbing the menace would succeed only if members of the public gave their support.
“We at Fan Milk are committed to fighting the war against human trafficking. We are proud to be associated with the fight against child labour,” he said.
The Consul of Benin Republic, Mr. Zakaria Chabikobi, who said 52 traffickers had so far been arrested this year, urged the Federal Government to engage the deported children productively.
The Comptroller of Immigration in Oyo State, Mr. Olaitan Joseph, appealed to members of the public to give intelligence reports on traffickers.
He also urged traditional rulers to advise their subjects to shun the vice.
Joseph said, “the solution to human trafficking in Oyo State goes beyond state efforts.”
By Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan