JDPC, NAPTIP seek increased media advocacy to curb human trafficking

HUMAN trafficking is a transnational organised crime and a threat to national security. It is an act of recruiting, transporting or harbouring a person with or without their consent.

Human beings are trafficked usually for sex work, begging, forced marriage, forced labour ritual purposes and for organ harvesting; and others.

Available data shows that more than a million Nigerians are trapped in Mali, Benin, Libya, Chad, as well as Europe. Out of this figure, 50,000 Nigerian girls are believed to be victims of human trafficking.

Disturbed by the menace of human trafficking and its negative impact on national image, the Justice Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, in collaboration with the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Person and Other Related Offences ( NAPTIP), organised a threeday training workshop for journalists in Effective Coverage and Reporting of Counter Trafficking in Persons ( CTIP).

Speaking at the workshop in Abuja, Executive Director of JDPC, Rev. Fr. Solomon Uko, observed that the aim was to enable journalists acquire more information and insight into this effort to countering trafficking in the country.

Uko, who called for increased media advocacy to create more awareness on the dangers of human trafficking and deter Nigerians from falling victims of the modern slavery, said, “the media can easily reach out to people vulnerable to trafficking, including survivors of human trafficking who contribute to prevention by transforming their suffering into a resource for others and speaking from their own experience.”

The Executive Director, who was represented by the Project Coordinator, Grace Osifodunrin, noted that trafficking in human beings affects all, adding that the final destinations are not only Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Gulf States, but in all continents and countries especially, Nigeria and in Africa.

He explained that trafficking occurs in different ways such as child trafficking, trafficking during crisis situations, trafficking in the maritime industry, trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation and solicited the support of the media in eradicating the scourge of human trafficking.

According to him, “At the root is the interconnection of lack of good governance, consistent law enforcement response. We came together to endorse and commit to collaboration and common action aiming at preventing and eradicating the scourge of human trafficking and exploitation of human beings and upholding human dignity.

“We aim to build our collaboration on each other’s strengths to counter human trafficking in our society. The suffering of the victims of human trafficking, exploitation and the impunity of the criminals and traffickers challenge us to take increased collaborative action. We are challenged by the fact that victims of trafficking are often invisible to society and it is sometimes only by chance that they can escape from their exploiters. For every one victim found, there are 100 or more undetected victims and some may never live to tell their tales of woes. We listened to the voices of survivors of human trafficking. We were touched by their courage to give testimony and by their engagement to turn their suffering into a resource to prevent trafficking of other women, men and children through education and to rescue victims of this crime.”

Uko observed that the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGS) and their implementation provide an opportunity and a framework to engage in the eradication of modern forms of slavery and human trafficking.

He stated that the JDPC is implementing the SCALE ( Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement) project, part of the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID) efforts to address Civil Society capacity gaps and weaknesses in Nigeria pointing out that the project is designed to provide a basket of capacity strengthening interventions for five years, to CSOS working in key sectors to improve the financial, managerial and advocacy capacity of CSOS to drive policy change and greater public accountability.

Uko noted that the project focuses on Countering Human Trafficking, and thus, the commission deemed it very important to engage the media that plays critical role in reporting the story and projecting the voice on the vulnerable masses to take action in countering trafficking in the society and advocate for effective implementation of the Trafficking in Persons ( Prohibition) Enforcement & Administration ( TIPPEA) 2015 as re- enacted, Increase Funding and prosecution of offenders.

Also speaking, former Director of Research and Programme Development in NAPTIP and a consultant, Mr. Godwin Morka, underscored the critical role of the media in bringing about behavioural change in the society and urged participants to intensify efforts in reporting the problem of trafficking in person and expose these evil perpetrators.

Morka lamented that about 50, 000 Nigerians are trafficked every year while about 10 million Nigerians are under slavery.

On her part, NAPTIP Chief Intelligence Officer, Training Department, Mrs. Cynthia Nnoli, said the agency has introduced critical strategies to curb the menace.