Traditional rulers to lead war against human trafficking in Ogun
The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has picked some traditional rulers as members of a task force established to prevent human trafficking.
Abiodun, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, issued yesterday, said there was need to offer traditional rulers in the state some specific roles in addition to their cultural and heritage custodianship.
Inaugurating the Ogun State Task Force team of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in Abeokuta yesterday, Gov Abiodun, represented by his deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyede, announced the appointment of Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye, the Towulade Akinale (Ewekoro Local Government), Oba Adeyinka Onakade, the Alakenne of Ikenne (Ikenne Local Government) and Oba Mojeed Adesegun Rufai Alao, the Olowo of Owo, (Yewa South Local Government) as members of the task force.
Other members of the team included representatives of youth organizations and various professionals, including security specialists across the state, with Akingbolahan Adeniran, the Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as chairman.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie OkahDonli, charged members of the task force to gird their loins in readiness for a tough battle against “the criminals” who traffic in humans.
Earlier, Adeniran and the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Olufunmilayo Efuwape, had reeled out the mandate of the NAPTIP and the Ogun State Task Force Team as “to coordinate all laws on trafficking in persons, adopt measures to increase the effectiveness of eradication of trafficking in persons, adopt witness protection measures and enhance effectiveness of law enforcement agents to suppress traffic in persons.