Members of the Ogun State Task Force on Human Trafficking have completed a three-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening the state’s investigation, prosecution and handling of human trafficking cases.
The workshop, organised by the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education Advocacy Project (STEAP) in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), brought together stakeholders from the security, welfare, legal, civil society and media sectors.
Declaring the training open at the Ministry of Justice Conference Room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwasina Ogungbade, condemned human trafficking as a crime against humanity.
Represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Olusegun Olaotan, Ogungbade stressed the importance of thorough investigation in securing justice for victims, while commending the organisers for the timeliness of the initiative.
The STEAP Project Manager, Mrs Rhoda Dia-Johnson, said the workshop was designed to address emerging trends in human trafficking and bridge operational gaps caused by staff turnover and migration.
“We recognised the need to train new members and provide refresher courses to ensure our task force is equipped to identify, respond to and combat human trafficking effectively,” Dia-Johnson said.
Delivering a lecture on local trafficking trends, the NAPTIP State Coordinator, Mrs Abosede Jimoh, warned that traffickers were increasingly exploiting social media and digital platforms to recruit victims.
Speaking on the theme, the NAPTIP Legal Officer, Mr Femi Kehinde, examined Nigeria’s legal framework on human trafficking, stressing that trafficking remained a grave violation of human rights that required firm judicial action.
In their presentations, the ICMPD resource person, Mr Simeon Favour, and STEAP State Coordinator, Mr Samuel Okoroji, trained participants on case-reporting metrics and the updating of the National Anti-Trafficking Database.
To strengthen inter-agency collaboration, the Coordinator of the Ogun State Task Force, Oloye Akolawole Shoremi, outlined multi-stakeholder referral pathways and announced plans to publish a public directory detailing the roles and responsibilities of local service providers.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Dr Mary Okeriafo of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Prof Olubunmi Ashimolowo of Gender Development Initiative; and Mr Taiwo Adebajo commended the organisers.
They noted that the practical insights gained from the workshop would significantly strengthen operational responses to human trafficking across Ogun State.
