Parents are contributing to the problem of human trafficking in Oyo state, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
This statement was given on August 21, Wednesday, in Ibadan, by Mr. Augustine Akanya, Head of NAPTIP Oyo State Office, during a town hall meeting of stakeholders hosted by the Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF).
Akanya stated that most of the human trafficking instances he has dealt with in the state involved parents, particularly mothers.
He said, “Our role is to tackle human trafficking and violence against persons. Domestic and international trafficking. Almost 80 per cent of cases of human trafficking that I have treated in the state, parents are involved. We have seen situation where mother send the child to Libya and the father is not aware.
“The role of parents in human trafficking is enormous. We should think about it. Let me talk about Middle East, Lebanon, Oman, Libya. Do you know that Nigeria does not have an embassy in Oman? I don’t know what is wrong with us. Our life is even better than some countries.
“Parents are playing major role in this problem. Let us ask questions, let us be concerned about ourselves. Many of them, it is the parents that helped them to borrow money from financial institutions.
“We encouraged parents to not to allow human trafficking in the state anymore. If you want to travel, go with necessary documents. Save travelling is better.”
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
