The International Centre for Migration Policy Development, ICMPD, has said that 75 per cent of victims of human trafficking recently rescued in Nigeria were of school age.
Elvis Ederibhalo, Edo Project Officer of the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP) of the ICMPD, disclosed this on Tuesday in Benin City during the inauguration of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons (A.TIPVAP) Vanguard Club in some secondary schools.
The project, done in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), is supported by the Government of the Netherlands.
Ederibhalo said the figure of trafficked victims was contained in a recent survey by the ICMPD.
According to him, the revelation underscored the need for early intervention.
He said since traffickers are recruiting directly from schools, the centre decided that prevention must start from schools too.
“These clubs will not only educate students but also empower them to educate others,” he said.
He stated that apart from the students, teachers and parents were also being trained as stakeholders.
The Edo Project Officer of STEAP added that human trafficking issues were already infused into the national curriculum through ICMPD’s work with the Federal Ministry of Education.
He said to reinforce student participation, schools involved in the initiative would receive infrastructural support.
“Sometimes what discourages students is the absence of basic learning facilities.
“Through this project, we’ll be providing furniture, teaching aids, and other materials based on the schools’ self-identified needs,” he stated.
In his remarks, Mr. Sam Offiah, Zonal Commander of NAPTIP in Benin, posited that traffickers were increasingly exploiting the digital space to lure young Nigerians into modern-day slavery.
“We’re seeing an upsurge in internet trafficking. Traffickers now use fake online profiles, phishing tactics, and blackmail with nude photos to manipulate and coerce victims.
“Students are now primary targets, and that’s why this campaign is being taken straight into the schools,” he added.
He said the inauguration of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons (A.TIPVAP) Vanguard Club at the secondary school was meant to take the fight against human trafficking directly to the youth.
Offiah said the vanguard club was also designed to empower students with knowledge about the tricks and tactics traffickers use to lure young people into slavery.
“The aim is to make these students not just aware but also ambassadors who will educate their peers and families on the dangers of trafficking.
“Human traffickers are adapting to modern technology, shifting their recruitment tactics online where unsuspecting youths are baited with fake job offers, scholarships, or international travel opportunities.
“Online trafficking is on the rise. Traffickers now hide in the dark web, making it harder to trace them.
“But through peer education, we can begin to dismantle their operations from the grassroots,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Ighodaro Egbe and Michael Ipogah, Principals of Ihogbe and Oba Akenzua Secondary Schools, respectively, lauded the initiative.
“Our students are the prime targets for traffickers, and awareness is the first step in their defense,” Egbe stated.
