The Wife of the Cross River State Governor, Reverend Eyoanwan Otu has promised to collaborate with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to check the menace of child and human trafficking.
Mrs. Otu made the pledge while flagging off a street awareness campaign to mark the 2023 World Day against Human Trafficking with the theme: “Reach Every Victim of Trafficking, Leave No One Behind,” in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
Otu, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Administration, Dr. Comfort Oko, also pledged that her office would follow up on reported cases of child trafficking, cheap labour and tackle other factors driving human trafficking in the state.
Effective collaboration
Wife of the governor noted that the best way for government to tackle the hydra headed problem of child trafficking was to have effective collaboration with national and international partners.
She remarked, “sometimes, we try to rescue the victims of trafficking. But, the concern is when we rescue them, how can they be assisted? We would, in partnership with Civil Society Organisations (CSO), do whatever we can to help rehabilitate the survivors.
“We are also hopeful that government policies would enable people being trafficked get the much needed assistance to be reintegrated into society . However, we urge that the government strengthen the system to be able to punish the perpetrators,” she stated.
She said that her Office was partnering with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to rescue survivors of human trafficking through strengthening the social system to also reduce poverty.
Dangers of human trafficking
The State Commander of NAPTIP, Dr. Godwin Eyake, explained that the street parade was to create awareness on the dangers of Human Trafficking.
Eyake stated, “when we talk about human trafficking, there are different segments to it. Some do direct trafficking, where they take persons either from the village to the city or from the city to outside the country, while some decide to sell children or persons. Others traffic for organ harvesting, which is also a crime.”
Enlighten the vulnerable
The State Commander who spoke through the Head of Operations, NAPTIP, Cross River State Command, Mr. Jacob Oba reasoned that: “the awareness that we are creating now will help to reduce future or intended traffickers and enlighten the vulnerable, who are unaware of this crime to become aware and desist from it.”
On successes achieved in Cross River State, he said, “Cross River State Command established in August 28, 2020 and started operation in January 2021 and within that period till date, we rescued 169 victims of trafficking and reunited them with their various families.
“We have also had over 50 cases reported and 59 persons have been arrested in relations to those cases. While some cases are still in court, we have successfully prosecuted 25 of them,” he pointed out.
He urged relevant agencies to support NAPTIP in the sensitizing people about human trafficking and punish offenders of this crime.
Vulnerable groups
Also, the Special Adviser on Programmes, Projects and Events, Office of Wife of the Governor, Dr. Inyang Asibong explained, “we want people to speak out against human trafficking.”
Similarly, the Executive Director, Hope Ability Empowerment Initiative, Calabar, Mrs. Martina Ougboaya revealed that human trafficking was common within the disability community, noting “the older ones can take the younger ones, who are supposed to be in school, to go begging. Human trafficking cuts across tribe, family background, race, and disability.”
The road walk started from the Millennium Park through Mary Slessor avenue to IBB way and back to the starting point irrespective of the downpour in the city of Calabar.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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