As part of measures to strengthen the fight against human trafficking , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has inaugurated five more Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons Vanguard Clubs in Delta public schools to bring the total number to fifteen.
The benefiting schools are the schools implementing the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), funded by the Government of Netherlands.
Performing the inauguration of the NAPTIP Vanguard Club at Owa Alero Secondary School , Owa Alero, the Zonal Commander, NAPTIP Benin Zonal Command in charge of Edo and Delta States, Mr Sam Offiah, said the essence of the club was to involve students in the campaign against human trafficking in school communities, considering the fact that the young ones are vulnerable to trafficking.
Mr Offiah urged members of the anti trafficking vanguard clubs to help sensitize their peers, parents and others about the danger of human trafficking, and to say no to any attempt by traffickers to lure them to be trafficked.
He said those trafficked were exposed to hard labour, sexual exploitation, unwanted pregnancy, risk of contracting sexual diseases, organ harvesting, drowning in sea, and sudden death.
The NAPTIP Benin Zonal Commander sensitized the students about the strategies adopted by traffickers to entize innocent young adults, girls and boys which he highlighted to include deception, false promises, fraud, emphasizing that ignorance, illiteracy, greed, poverty, insecurity and instability had been identified as the pushed factors to kidnapping.
Mr Offiah who hinted that NAPTIP had arrested thousands of traffickers, with many prosecuted and sent to jail, urged the students never to fail victim to traffickers antics.
He stated further, ”NAPTIP is implementing the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP ) with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, in collaboration with the Delta State Ministry of Education. For us at NAPTIP, it is to make sure that the incidences of human trafficking are eliminated in our society, especially among the school children because they do fall prey to the antics of the traffickers”
”And for us, coming to the schools, is getting to the grassroots for the students to be well informed about the issues of human trafficking that when the red flags are seen, they should report to the authority, their councilors, and their teachers, and that when NAPTIP receives the information, we rescue victims and apprehend and prosecute traffickers.”
Some members of the newly inaugurated NAPTIP Vanguard Club expressed their preparedness to join the fight against human trafficking in their school communities.
At the Special Education Centre, Agbor, the NAPTIP Benin Zonal Commander hinted that the agency was deeply concerned about the protection of the pupils and students against trafficking, hence the inauguration of Anti-Trafficking Vanguard Club in their school.
He urged them to be a good example of students who will stand against trafficking at all times, by telling their teachers and parents when someone attempts to lure them to be trafficked.
The Principal of the Special Education Centre, Agbor, Mrs Ezehi Francisca Chukwudi was full of thanks to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ,as well as the International Centre for Migration Policy Development for coming to inaugurate anti trafficking vanguard club in their school.
At Ute- Ukpu Grammer School, Ute- Ukpu in Ika North East local government area of Delta State, the NAPTIP Vanguard Club was inaugurated with commitment by critical stakeholders in the school to ensure that the essence of setting up the club was achieved.
The NAPTIP Benin Zonal Commander sensitized members of the club and the school community on the five strategies adopted by NAPTIP to fight human trafficking which he highlighted to include Protection , Prevention, Prosecution, Partnership, Policy .
Mr Offiah revealed that trafficking has three stages which according to him are the acts, the means and the purpose .
In her presentation, the Delta State Project Officer, Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), Ijeoma David-Ukoko urged members of the vanguard clubs to disseminate the knowledge acquired, and be committed to the success of the clubs
There were goodwill messages from the Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the Delta Taskforce Against Trafficking and Irregular Migration, and other partners.
Highlights of the inauguration included presentation of textbooks ,notebooks on human trafficking and red flags to members of the anti trafficking vanguard clubs as well as cultural performances by students.
