By Ifeanyi Olannye

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has launched campaign against human trafficking and violence against persons in secondary schools in Delta.

The Commander, NAPTIP Benin Zonal Command, Mr Sam Offiah, who inaugurated the Anti-Human Trafficking Vanguard in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta, said the sensitisation has become imperative to ward off the predators from prying on the students.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NAPTIP, in partnership with Delta Government, formally inaugurated 30 students as Vanguards in Abraka Grammar School, and another 30 students in Erho Secondary School, both in Abraka as the agency’s ambassadors in the schools.

According to Offiah, the target is to cover 50 secondary schools in the state within a given space of time.

He, however, said the agency in this first phase would cover 10 secondary schools this week which has been flagged off in two schools in Abraka.

The commander said that the students were the vulnerable group and target of traffickers, adding that stepping up the sensitisation with the inauguration of the students’ vanguard was the best way to curb the menace of child trafficking and ensure a violence-free nation.

He said, “Today, we have established two vanguards in the two schools in Delta and the essence is to enable them represent us and to speak to other students, community and their friends about human trafficking so that the scourge could be reduced to the barest minimum in the state.

“We know that the traffickers target these children because they are vulnerable. So, our objective is to make our nation free from human trafficking and help the children grow to their full potential.”

He said that the Agency would support and groom the students to become equipped with requisite knowledge on issues of human trafficking and to become advocates in their schools to enlighten others about human trafficking.

“They are the soldiers, ambassadors of NAPTIP to make our children free from the traffickers. At this operational period, we are raising 30 students per school but going forward, we expect that the club member would increase through the efforts of the pioneers.

“Over time, all the students would become ambassadors of NAPTIP through awareness creation and our target is to make every child ambassador and our goal is to make our nation free from human trafficking.”

On his part, Mr Maclean Eze, Deputy Director, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and Desk Officer, School Anti-Trafficking Education Advocacy Project (STEAP), said the state government taskforce on human trafficking and irregular migration has become operational.

According to Eze, the taskforce is aimed at protecting the rights of the citizens and to prosecute human traffickers.

He advised the students to be good ambassadors of the state and shun greed but speak out on issues of human trafficking in their environment.

Also, Mrs Ijoma Nwanze, Secretary, State Taskforce on Human Trafficking and Irregular Migrations, said the taskforce was set up by government to fight against and reduce the scourge in the state.

According to her, the Vanguard will advocate for the state in all the schools and in the communities.

The Principals of Abraka Grammar School and Erho Secondary School, Mr Lucky-Jones Dibie and Mrs Edna Eremo respectively, lauded NAPTIP and the state government for selecting their schools for the programme.

They pledged their support to ensure that the project succeeded and advanced the advocacy against human trafficking in the society.

Some of the students in an interview with NAN expressed understanding of the subject matter and pledged their resolve to be a voice against human trafficking in their schools.

The highpoint of the event was the formal inauguration of the NAPTIP Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Persons Vanguard and unveiling of the NAPTIP sign posts in both schools. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama