The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons, NAPTIP Saturday sensitised Nigerians about issues surrounding human trafficking.
Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi who used the occasion of the 2024 World Day against trafficking in persons to sensitise the public said the fight is to leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking.
Speaking at the football arena on Saturday in Abuja, she highlighted that, it’s a game, it’s a novelty match, female novelty match between female officers and female partners.
Fatima said, the aim of the football game It’s just a way of having fun and also using the same avenue to sensitise people to create that awareness about issues of human trafficking.
“We know that a lot of times we talk about human trafficking, because children are also proportionally affected. So it’s just for us to remind the public, remind the world that victims of human trafficking, and those trafficking our people, should learn to show them compassion. We should also show solidarity in addition to sensitization.”
“The focal anti human trafficking law enforcement agency in Nigeria, and in carrying out our work, we use the five prong strategy strategic approach which is prevention, protection, prosecution, partnership, and policy.
“In terms of discouraging Nigerians with white women establishing what we call anti trafficking in persons and values, teachers to be educated, communities, educate their parents and neighbours about signs of human trafficking.”
“They don’t recognize the signs to see the dangers. Going to engaging young people we know that young people are at risk.”
The head of International Center for Migration Policy Development, ICMPD,
Mojisola Sodeinde said,it’s a game that is very important. It’s not so much who won or who lost. we all won because we’re gathered here to make an event in support of anti-trafficking efforts that narrative has been championing for decades
“The ICMPD as a partner, not only in Nigeria, but across the West Africa region with NAPTIP has shown in its efforts today and that of our partnership and the effort that we all put in to fight against trafficking.
“This year for ICMPD We started a project with NAPTIP in five states- Benue, Edo state, Ogun, Delta State and Enugu where we’re working with school authorities as well as the communities in order to continue the advocacy work of NAPTIP and also ICMPD.
“Every year, we always strive to improve what we did the previous year. So this year is better than last year because obviously, we’re doing more, we’re doing it better. We have a lot of experience doing it now.
“What is unfortunate is that traffickers are also on their side, coming up with new ways of perfecting their trade. And we always have to catch up with them to know the new approaches, the new tactics that they are deploying, as partners.”
