The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has said that parents are the major actors aiding human trafficking in Oyo state.
Head of NAPTIP Oyo state office, Mr. Augustine Akanya made this declaration on Wednesday in Ibadan, the state capital.
He spoke while addressing participants at a town hall meeting of stakeholders organised by Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF).
The event was attended by Barrister Seun Ademola-Salami who represented commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in the state, Mr. Abiodun Aikomo, Barrister Tayo Ayoade who represented Executive Director of AAF, Mrs. Mabel Adinya Ade, community leaders, women groups and representatives from ministry of women affairs and social inclusion, Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) and Justice Development and Peace Commission.
Akanya while addressing the gathering, said that parents especially mothers were involved in majority of cases of human trafficking he has treated in the state.
He encouraged parents and other stakeholders to tackle the menace without further delay.
He said, “Our role is to tackle human trafficking and violence against persons. Domestic and international trafficking. Almost 80 per cent of cases of human trafficking that I have treated in the state, parents are involved. We have seen situation where mother send the child to Libya and the father is not aware.
“The role of parents in human trafficking is enoumous. We should think about it. Let me talk about Middle East, Lebanon, Oman, Libya. Do you know that Nigeria does not have an embassy in Oman? I don’t know what is wrong with us. Our life is even better than some countries.
“Parents are playing major role in this problem. Let us ask questions, let us be concerned about ourselves. Many of them, it is the parents that helped them to borrow money from financial institutions. We encouraged parents to not to allow human trafficking in the state anymore. If you want to travel, go with necessary documents. Save travelling is better”.
Ade while speaking noted that the programe was aimed to curb the menace of human trafficking in the country.
She added that the programme has been organised in Benue and Taraba states.
She said, “I stand before you today to address a menace that threatens the very fabric of our society-human trafficking. This heinous crime exploits the most vulnerable among us, especially our children, robbing them of their Innocence, dreams, and futures.
“The ripple effects of human trafficking are profound, leading to broken families, shattered communities, and a compromised future for our society.
“Over the past five months, the USAID Palladium Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) project, under the dedicated leadership of the Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF), has made significant strides in combating this scourge in Oyo State. Through collaborative efforts, we have enhanced awareness, strengthened support systems for victims, and laid down frameworks that aim to dismantle trafficking networks.
“It has been organised in Benue and Taraba states. The security operatives should wake up and tame the social problem. Government should make laws to address the problem. We are saying that we do not want human trafficking, we have been going round the markets, we don’t want human trafficking in Oyo state. It is a poison”.
