Delta Govt Declares Zero Tolerance For Human Trafficking

Delta State government has described human trafficking as “an act of wickedness” and threatened that the state would not spare anyone found guilty, including the sponsors of the crime.

The attorney-general and commissioner for Justice, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, who also chairs the Delta State Task Force on Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration, made this known during a strategic meeting with newly appointed taskforce members in Asaba.

The meeting centered on strengthening the task force’s operational structure, enhancing the capacity of members to track and curb trafficking in persons and improving information sharing.

It also addressed public awareness campaigns, victim rehabilitation and reintegration and closer coordination with national agencies to protect victims and bring offenders to justice.

While expressing concern over the rising trend, the attorney-general pledged the government’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to stamp out the menace, urging taskforce members to build on the work already done.

“Ending human trafficking requires more than institutional action. It demands a united front from every sector of society to stop the recruitment, transportation, and exploitation of vulnerable people, especially underage girls,” he said.

The Attorney-General further noted that Delta State has a dedicated law prohibiting trafficking in persons and remains the only state in Nigeria with all its statutes freely accessible online anywhere in the world, an achievement he described as “one of the silent successes of this administration.”

The Benin Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr. Sam Ofiah, commended the Delta State Government for creating the task force and described it as a “brilliant initiative” that would bolster the fight against human trafficking.

He explained that NAPTIP is working closely with the state under the School Anti-Human Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), a federal government programme funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The project focuses on educating schoolchildren and communities to prevent trafficking before it begins.

The meeting also featured presentations from Taskforce members, including representatives from NGOs, anti-trafficking groups, security agencies, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Council for Islamic Affairs, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and government security agencies such as the Nigeria Immigration Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.