A coalition of agencies and civil society organisations, under the aegis of Ebonyi State Anti-human Trafficking Stakeholders, has expressed commitment to ensuring the reduction in the high prevalence of child trafficking in the state.
The group vowed to do everything within their reach to change the narrative and delist Ebonyi from among states with a high rate of child trafficking.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Civil Society Organisation Network on Migration and Development (CSOnetMED), the Ebonyi State Gender-based Violence Taskforce, Network Against Child Trafficking Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), Ebony State chapter, among others made the position known while addressing journalists in Abakaliki.
The NAPTIP official who led other NAPTIP personnel of the state command to the event, Mrs Anne Nwabugwu, said the agency has continued to review and redirect its strategies to contain the ever- evolving complexities of the crime, assuring that the agency remains unrelenting in its efforts to end the practice in the state.
She said that part of the negative effects of human trafficking on victims includes emotional and psychological trauma, child labour and abuse, negative health outcomes and death.
The group also educated the public on the strategies of traffickers adding that it also includes fake promises of jobs and better life for victims, financial inducements and other subtle enticements.
They expressed the regret that the incidence of human trafficking is statistically under-reported in Ebonyi, and Nigeria in general, but expressed hope that with the collaborative efforts of stakeholders, including the law enforcement agencies in attacking the menace in the state, the needed result would be achieved.
