Human Trafficking Day: Oyo Govt threatens to arrest perpetrators

The Oyo State government, has expressed its readiness in ensuring that the menace of human tracking is greatly restricted and reduced, as it threatened to bring into book, unrepentant perpetrators of human trafficking in Oyo state.

Speaking at the occasion marking the 2018 human trafficking day, on Monday in Ibadan, Oyo Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Atinuke  Osunkoya condemned the spate of trafficking, especially women and girl-child.

The Commissioner who described human trafficking as an act of  replacing or harbouring people against their will, assured immediate returned of victims to his/ her home, through the State Emergency Management and Ministry of women affairs.

She expressed government’s commitment to protecting the lives of its citizenry, stresing the need for stakeholder's involvement in putting an end to the unlawful practice.

"This program is to bring stakeholder together, to talk extensively and discuss the issue of  human trafficking which has become a popular practice in the world most especially, in western Nigeria and Oyo state in particular" .

"Oyo state government particularly fronwed at human trafficking, we believe people are lured into these act because of their ignorant, or they are searching for a greener pasture without much stress, people especially women are transported to places like  Libya, Saudi Arabia,,,  to be lured into slavery,  hard labour, sexual abuse".

" We invited National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) the Nigeria Immigration, the Non Governmental Organization, NGOs,  Security Agencies,  the Youths, and Market women, to be well informed and come up with suggestions on how human trafficking would be eradicated".

The state commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, while speaking at the event, called on parents and  guidance to desist from funding any urgent trip abroad in search of greener pasture.

He called for a close collaboration between the state government and  governing body of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) in tracking travel agencies and individuals who engage in human trafficking.