NGO takes human trafficking campaign to Lagos streets urges govt to block the routes

By Esther Onyegbula

A Lagos-based non-profit organisation, Kick Against Human Trafficking and Human Rights Abuse Foundation , KAHTHRAF, on Monday took to major streets in Lagos State to create awareness on the dangers of human trafficking and the plight of rescued survivors.

•Participants at the campaign

President of KAHTHAF, Barr. Ojay Akinwale who led the campaign train which included rescued survivors, officials of the National Agency For the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP and others, said all hands must be on deck to fight the menace of human trafficking and plight of rescued survivors.

He said the aim of the campaign is to prevail on the government and relevant agencies to identify human trafficking routes and block them.

“The focus is to prevail on them to go beyond arrest and prosecution of human traffickers but also to block all routes the traffickers are using. There are identified routes in the northern part of the country where these youths are made to engage in perilous journeys but we are saying that government should rescue people before they go on this dangerous voyage by blocking the routes. We are targeting 50,000 youths as we feel preventing them from being trafficked will go a long way in reducing cases of human trafficking.”

The Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Lagos Command, Mr. Daniel Atokolo while receiving the campaign train in his office said the agency is not resting in fighting human trafficking.

He said: “We are identifying the routes but it will interest you that Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country and this is due to our porous borders. We are working with the relevant agencies and we urge Nigerians with relevant information to pass it across to us. Last year, we had 13 convictions, in one month we had seven convictions.

Also, the campaign train stopped at the campaign office of the All Progressives Congress, APC gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

When the campaign train visited the Lagos State Police Command, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edgal Imohimi was not on ground to receive the campaigners but the spokesperson for the command, CSP Chike Otti said the police in the state will give support to stop human trafficking