Delta Government, Others Decry Worrisome Trends In Human Trafficking

By Kenneth Orusi, The Nigerian Voice, Asaba

Although, much has been done in the fight against human trafficking, perpetrators have become more daring in their approach.

However, stakeholders have been charged not to relent in their fight against the menace.

The charge was given Wednesday by the Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Peter Mrakpor, at a symposium organized by the Attorneys General Alliance/Africa Alliance Partnership in Collaboration with the Delta State taskforce on human trafficking and illegal migration in Asaba.

The symposium with the theme: "Winning the Fight Against Trafficking In Person", lamented the worrisome trends that exists in children and teenagers for sexual exploitation, forced labour, sale of children, organ sales or recruitment of child beggars or "soldiers".

Mrakpor who doubles as the state chairman on Taskforce on Human Trafficking and Illegal Migration, hinted: "This crime involves the unlawful clandestine recruitment, harbouring, providing, obtaining and/or movement of persons across national or inter/intra state borders.

"The negative impact on the victims, who are our children, our brothers and sisters and the hope of this Nation cannot be wished away. Therefore, there is the need to strengthen our enforcement mechanisms, both preventive and punitive, internationally and domestically and a full approach to the fight would entail the prevention of trafficking, the protection of victims and the prosecution of traffickers”. the Justice Commissioner said.

Also speaking, the Assistant General Counsel and Board member of AGA/AAP for Pfizer, Markus Green Esq. described Human Trafficking as a “tragedy of our time”, noting that it is an awful $150 billion business affecting over 28 million individuals worldwide”.

He spoke in an interview shortly after a break where he said that the effect of human trafficking is deeper than drug trafficking, which the later is a crime of one time profit but the former is a continuous harm especially in cases of sex slaves who are exploited repeatedly.

Hear him: “We are currently working with Attorney Generals in eight African Countries to see how we can combat this transnational crimes”, he unearthed.

Another respondent, the Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking n Prisons (NAPTIP), Dame Julie Okah-Donli, who explained the reasons for the Sexual Offenders Register, said it captures the names of convicted sexual offenders and reported sexual offenders.

"The idea is to name and shame those that have been convicted for various sexual offenses. A lot of people don't want to be known when they have done something as bad as Sexual offense and so it will serve as deterrent to would be Sexual Offenders", she disclosed.