By Gloria Emmanuel The Executive Secretary of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba has called for a united action against human trafficking in the country.
Speaking in Abuja Tuesday, to mark this year’s International Day for the abolition of slavery, the Executive Secretary said that human trafficking must be fought with the same vigour with which the transatlantic slave trade was fought over 200 years ago.
In a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relation of the agency, Mr. Josiah Emerole, Jedy-Agba said that since the crime is an organised one all men of goodwill must join hands to end it.
According to her, “Human trafficking which represents modern day slavery works against the human rights of the people, dislocates families and makes it difficult for a country to achieve sustainable development.
“The growing incidence of human trafficking and child labour in Nigeria is not only a human security issue but also a national security threat that should be nipped in the bud’’ she added.
She however, explained that the Agency was taking steps at various levels to combat the rising menace of human trafficking especially through increased engagement with representatives of destination countries, partners and sister law enforcement agencies, adding that those engagement were yielding positive results.
Quoting the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) report that over 21 million women, men and children were trapped in various forms of slavery across the world, Mrs. Jedy-Agba called on world leaders to take strategic actions that would reduce the predisposing factors to human trafficking including poverty, illiteracy and unemployment.
She also urged parents not to abandon their responsibilities to their children, adding that no level of poverty was enough for a parent to give away his ward as a slave.
It will be recalled that the General Assembly of the United Nations through the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (Resolution 317(iv) of 2nd December 1949 set aside December 2 of every year as International Day for the Abolition of slavery.
