The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has said children have become victims of human trafficking due to their parent’s ignorance.
The agency stated this on Friday during a walk to commemorate World Day against Human Trafficking, themed, “Use and Abuse of Technology.”
As part of activities lined up to mark the day, NAPTIP officials, stakeholders from the International Organisation for Migration, the Nigeria Police Force, the Marypearl Social Initiative For Youths And Family Solution, Child Protection Network, Bakhita St Louis Empowerment Network, Mum2Mum Foundation, FIDA, and Live Abundantly, embarked on the walk to commemorate the day.
The walk started from the NAPTIP Lagos office and ended at the Ikeja under bridge.
Our correspondents observed the presence of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps and individuals from the various agencies with banners and flyers with different inscriptions, including, ‘Shine your eyes – no be every matter be true’; ‘Save a victim of human trafficking; if you or someone you know is being forced to do any activity and cannot leave, call the legal hub for rescue.’
During the walk, speakers sensitised the public to the dangers of human trafficking in English, Yoruba, Igbo, Pidgin, and Hausa.
The NAPTIP Zonal Commander, Lagos State, Comfort Agboko, said, “Parents need to realise that human trafficking is bad business. Many of these parents wallow in ignorance, thus endangering their children. They (parents) sell their properties in their home country to send these children abroad through irregular means, and they believe it is okay.
“It is not okay because many of these children have fallen prey to human traffickers where they are sent to. If you want to travel, do it through the right means. What parents are expected to do is to take care of their children and educate them.”
The Lagos State Coordinator of the Network against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, Morenike Omaiboje, stated that the walk was for liberty.
She said, “This walk is for freedom, it’s for liberty, because when we talk about human trafficking, we are talking about modern slavery.
“Today’s walk is dedicated to victims who are out there, who are not free like you and I. Today’s walk is for awareness. It’s an awareness walk where we are saying, ‘This thing should stop. It’s a scourge and it’s destroying our youth.”
