To celebrate this year’s World Day Against Human Trafficking, a group, Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) took its campaign to worship centres and markets in Lagos.
Specifically, the group educated the masses on ways to identify baits by traffickers, new trends and recruitment methods adopted by the criminals.
It also enlightened the people on the dangers of human trafficking, stressing that about 25 million people have fallen victim to either sexual exploitation or forced labour which have generated over $150b criminal proceeds.
Urging the government to take action to combat human trafficking, the group said it was fuelling insecurity, corruption, irregular migration, terrorism and modern slavery,.
NACTAL’s State Coordinator, Mrs. Moranike Omaiboje, who spoke on the United Nation’s theme for this year, ‘use and abuse of technology’, “with the shift to digital technology as a result of the pandemic, the opportunity arose for traffickers to intensify their exploitative acts to advertise, groom and recruit unassuming and unsuspecting victims, communicate among their networks, hide proceeds and operate internationally with impunity.
“We will encourage the use of social media to the advantage of young and vulnerable Nigerians by raising awareness and intensifying all efforts to ensure our youth are exposed to up-to-date information that will assist them in making informed decisions in their quest for greener pastures. ”
Mrs. Oyeleye Adeola, a team member of France Expertise project with NAPTAL, encouraged survivors of human trafficking to speak up and identify with the firm for assistance.