By Usman Aliyu
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) on Tuesday commenced a four-day capacity-building workshop for stakeholders to effectively fight human trafficking in Edo and Delta.
The workshop, in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), brought together investigators, prosecutors, and enforcement officers from the two states.
The workshop, held in Benin, is the first in a four-location training series targeting eight states across Nigeria, with support from the Government of the Netherlands.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the theme of the workshop is “Building an Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria.”
The Project Manager of ICMPD, West Africa Office, Mr Matthias Esene, said that the initiative was designed to strengthen the skills of justice actors and build bridges between federal and state agencies.
Esene said that trafficking and violence were realities in local communities.
“Together, we are building and shaping a community of practice where knowledge sharing and collaboration become standard practices in the fight against human trafficking and violence against persons,” he said.
“Victims are recruited from motor parks, lured on social media, exploited in brothels, or trafficked across our borders.
“It is, therefore, at the local level that our collaborative structures must be most active and responsive,” he said.
The ICMPD official said that the project would invest heavily in technology to tackle emerging trends in human trafficking and violence against persons globally.
“Technology and systems are important, but it is people who drive transformation. This is why investing in training, motivation and collaboration is key,” he said.
Esene said that the workshop, with more than 40 participants drawn from law enforcement, civil defence, police, ministries of justice, and women’s affairs, sought to establish a community of practice that would outlive the project’s three-year lifespan.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Hajia Binta Bello, said that Nigeria was grappling with both cross-border and internal trafficking.
Bello, represented by Dr Ebele Ulasi, NAPTIP Director of Training and Manpower Development, said that Edo had been a particular point of concern.
“Trafficking is an evolving crime, and in this era of globalisation, traffickers keep devising new methods.
“That is why continuous training, synergy, and retraining remain central.
“NAPTIP alone cannot fight human trafficking. The need for synergy cannot be overemphasised.
“Fighting these two crimes is an all-hands-on-deck approach,” she said.
Mrs Roseline Abare, NAPTIP’s focal person for the project, outlined specific objectives of the programme, which include strengthening criminal justice responses through digital tools, enhancing coordination, and operationalising victim support systems.
Abare said the agency recently established NAPTIP’s Cybercrime Response Team (CRT) and a Joint Case Team for cybercrime investigations. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Victor Adeoti/Joe Idika
