About 2,000 traders, residents and other members of the public in Umunede, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, have been sensitised on the dangers of human trafficking and the need to report suspected cases to the appropriate authorities.
The sensitisation campaign, organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Delta State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration, the State Ministry of Education, and Hope Health Organization, was held at the Umunede market and adjoining communities.
According to the organizers, the sensitization is part of the implementation of the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project, STEAP, funded by the Government of the Netherlands.
They said the exercise was designed to strengthen public awareness and community participation in the fight against human trafficking, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The sensitisation team, comprising members of civil society organisation working with ICMPD, engaged the market community through interactive talks in English, Pidgin English and the local dialect, while flyers and posters carrying anti-trafficking messages were distributed to traders, buyers, passersby and other residents.
The campaign also reached motorcycle riders and commercial bus drivers, as well as residents from neighbouring communities including Akomazi, Ekuoma and Otolokpo.
Leading the CSO led Sensitisation , Hope Health Organisation project Coordinator, Oluwakemi Omotodo urged the people of Umunede to support the efforts of NAPTIP, ICMPD and the Delta State Government by reporting suspected traffickers and victims of trafficking to relevant authorities and civil society organisations.
Omotoso called on the community to speak up against trafficking and avoid shielding perpetrators, describing human trafficking as a heinous crime that requires collective action to eradicate.
She reaffirmed ICMPD’s commitment to combating human trafficking in Edo, Delta, Ogun, Enugu and Benue states, where the organisation says trafficking remains a serious concern.
Also speaking, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Hope Health Organisation under the STEAP project, Stanley Osiaje, explained some of the tactics used by traffickers to lure unsuspecting young people and adults.
He identified fake job offers, web hunting, extortion, sextortion and baby factories among the methods used by traffickers.
Osiaje further identified sex trafficking, forced labour, recruitment of child soldiers, organ harvesting, domestic servitude and trafficking for rituals as some of the major forms of human trafficking.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to law enforcement agencies whenever they notice suspicious activities.
In a bid to ensure the message reached the grassroots, CSO Project Officer, Nwaefulu Matthew, addressed the market community in the local dialect, urging residents to join the campaign and protect young people and other vulnerable members of society from traffickers.
Another CSO officer, Ajawobu Philip, distributed flyers and posters while encouraging traders, buyers and passersby to provide useful information that could assist authorities in identifying and arresting suspected traffickers.
The traders responded positively to the campaign, expressing their readiness to collaborate with law enforcement agencies and relevant organisations by reporting suspicious activities.
Many of them gathered around the sensitisation team, collected anti-trafficking materials and shared experiences concerning suspected attempts by traffickers.
Some traders, including Mrs Amaka Okonkwo, Mama Blessing and Ikeogwu Chukwuka, commended ICMPD, NAPTIP and the Delta State Government for taking the anti-trafficking campaign to the grassroots and called for sustained sensitisation in the community.
