NAPTIP, IOM, NCWR, Others Storm Kaduna School For Human Trafficking Awareness

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Government and Coalition of Non- Governmental organizations (NGOs) visited the Government Secondary school, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna, on Wednesday, to create awareness on the menace of trafficking in persons.

The sensitization visit to the school is part of activities to commemorate the 2023 UN World Day Against Trafficking in persons on July, 30,

Earlier, the coalition had a press briefing at the Ministry of Human services and Social Development on Wednesday. where various organizations highlighted challenges and progress achieved within the period under review.

Speaking during the visit to the school, the State Commander, National Agency For the prohibition of Trafficking in persons( NAPTIP,) Kaduna State command, Labaran Ado Tanimu, said” we are here to mark the World Day against trafficking which is coming up on 30th July, which is celebrated worldwide by the UN, so we have kick-started the activities today with a press conference which we had at Kaduna Ministry of Human services and social development

” and we have moved down to this school to also sensitize the students, you know education is key, we just want to inform them and make them aware of human trafficking activities in Kaduna state” he said.

Similarly, the Project Assistant, International Organization on Migration ( IOM) Adamu Saidu, said, the sensitization visit focused on enlightening the students on basic concepts of trafficking in persons, online and technology facilitated trafficking, exploitation and trends of trafficking in Kaduna with emphasis on sexual exploitation and domestic servitude

In the same vein, the State Coordinator, Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour, Emmanuel Jock, Kaduna State Chapter,, said” we are here in GSS Sabo Tasha, to create awareness on human trafficking, on Sunday 30th of July is going to be the world day against trafficking as marked by United Nations” adding that the activities which was kicked started today will span to Sunday

” the major event or activities that we used to carry during this kind of event is to create awareness about the menace known as human trafficking where people are being trafficked for sexual exploitation, child labour and false marriage, so we decided that Sabon Tasha is one of the areas that we have cases, so we decided to come to create awareness in the school because we believe it’s going to go a long way, so that’s why we are here ” he stressed

On her part, the State coordinator, Civil Societies Coalition Against Sexual and Gender based Violence, Barrister Bukola Ajao, also stressed that the visit to school is basically to commemorate the world Day against trafficking in persons, ” and we realized that the school will soon be closing, and this a period where a lot of people lured them into lot of things that are bad , during holidays you see people coming to talk to their parents, especially those that are graduating,

” we are coming to tell them how to detect the red flags, how to know when somebody wants to traffic you, then to also teach them against snapping their nudity, they should be careful about cyber trafficking; you snap your picture, you send it to a Man, he begins to exploit you, he begins to blackmail you with it, it’s also sex exploitation, some will say come, if you don’t come, I’m going to expose your (nude) pictures, that’s the message and we have brought to the secondary school today so that, we can catch them young ” she added.

Also the coordinator!/ representive of Catholic Sisters in Nigeria under the umbrella of Nigeria Conference of Women Religious( NCWR) Rev Sr. Monica Onwunali, OLA, said the NCWR works with Talitha International over the years in the fight against Human Trafficking. While describing the event a miracle, said” because last month I had a conference with NAPTIP in Lagos, and I told them NAPTIP is not in Kaduna, and Kano is too far for us” which is now in the past.

She further appreciated God that efforts started 2years ago finally birthed NAPTIP in Kaduna, to mark the world day against trafficking in persons ” it’s thing of joy for us, we started meeting, we actually met only twice that brought out what we have seen today, It’s actually fulfilling that we can come, not as one group but as a coalition of all the NGOs and Govt organizations fighting against human trafficking, the more we are together, the more we achieve better”.

According to her, the choice of the school and Kaduna is strategic ” In Kaduna, we are looking at the areas, where there are cases of Human trafficking, according to NAPTIP, by God’s grace, we are going to the nook and crannies of Kaduna state because Kaduna is a source, Kaduna is a transit and Kaduna is a destination, many of our girls have been trafficked out of Kaduna ” she added.

On her part, the Principal of Government Secondary School, Sabon Tasha, Margaret John Gajere, while commending the sensitization visit, said ” This is a milestone, this is history made, because most of these children, if not all have never heard of the name NAPTIP not to talk of what they do and so we are happy that an awareness has been created in them and it will help them in a long way,

She further appealed to group/ coalition to repeat the visit to benefit more students of the school ” it will go a long way in ensuring that these students are protected, because you can’t be protected against what you don’t know, so by the time they all know and are aware nobody will deceive them easily; it’s lack of knowledge that makes them become gullible and they fall victims ” she reiterated

One of the participants, a SS1 commerce one student, Miss Idoko Ukamaka, describing the outcome of the awareness, said ” l am so happy, if you people were not here, I wouldn’t have known anything about what we have heard today, and with this visit today, we have learned something new, so with this knowledge you have given us, we can be able to maintain ourselves and not be misled by our friends.” she stated