By Jethro Ibileke
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) have raised the alarm over emerging trends in human trafficking, with the rise of online recruitment.
They disclosed this on Tuesday, during the unveiling of “Anti-Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons Vanguard Students Clubs at Ihogbe College and Oba Akenzua II Secondary School in Benin City, Edo State.
The initiative, which was part of the ICMPD’s School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), is supported by the government of the Netherlands.
The Benin Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Sam Offiah, noted that traffickers are increasingly exploiting the digital space to lure young Nigerians into modern-day slavery.
“We’re seeing an upsurge in internet trafficking. Traffickers now use fake online profiles, phishing tactics, and blackmail with nude photos to manipulate and coerce victims.
“Students are now primary targets, and that’s why this campaign is being taken straight into the schools,” Offiah said.
On his part, the Edo State Project Officer of STEAP for ICMPD, Elvis Ederibhalo, explained that 75 per cent of trafficked victims rescued in recent surveys were of school age, underscoring the need for early intervention.
He said, “Since traffickers are recruiting directly from schools, we decided that prevention must start from schools too.
“These clubs will not only educate students but also empower them to educate others.”
According to Ederibhalo, the project, currently running in Edo, Delta, Enugu, Ogun, and Borno States and the Federal Capital, has completed one year of its four-year cycle.
He emphasised that apart from the students, teachers and parents were also being trained as stakeholders.
He asserted that human trafficking issues were already infused into the national curriculum through ICMPD’s work with the Federal Ministry of Education.
To reinforce student participation, he said schools involved in the initiative would receive infrastructural support.
“Sometimes, what discourages students is the absence of basic learning facilities.
“Through this project, we’ll be providing furniture, teaching aids, and other materials based on the schools’ self-identified needs,” Ederibhalo said.
In their remarks, the Principals of Ihogbe and Oba Akenzua Secondary School, Mr Ighodaro Egbe and Michael Ipogah, respectively, lauded the initiative.
“Our students are the prime targets for traffickers, and awareness is the first step in their defence,” Egbe said.