Agency Warns Against Fake Online Jobs, Sextortion, Organ Trafficking
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has raised the alarm over the changing tactics of human traffickers, warning residents of border communities in Ogun State against suspicious online recruitment offers and attractive promises.
The agency urged residents to work closely with security agencies and other authorities to identify and report suspected cases of human trafficking and violence against persons.
Ogun State Commander of NAPTIP, Bose Jimoh, gave the warning on Friday at a two-day town hall meeting and community engagement on Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area.
Jimoh said human trafficking had evolved beyond traditional forms of exploitation to include sexual exploitation, organ harvesting, sextortion and child trafficking.
She stressed the need for residents, particularly those living around border corridors, to remain vigilant and raise the alarm whenever they notice suspicious movements or recruitment activities.
“Victims of human trafficking are usually recruited from the communities for exploitation within or outside the country,” she said.
According to her, the engagement, organised in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was designed to equip community stakeholders with the knowledge required to recognise warning signs and report cases promptly.
Jimoh described Idiroko as a strategic location in the fight against trafficking because of its proximity to an international border.
“It is also important to say that Idiroko being a border community is very critical. That is where most victims of human trafficking are usually taken through one of our major international borders,” she said.
She warned that traffickers were constantly developing new methods to lure and exploit victims, urging residents to exercise caution when approached with seemingly attractive employment or travel opportunities.
The engagement brought together traditional and religious leaders, community development committees, youth groups, market women, transport workers, security agencies and other stakeholders.
Project Officer of ICMPD and Coordinator of the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project, Samuel Okoroji, said the programme was part of efforts to sensitise border communities to trafficking and violence against persons.
He said ICMPD was implementing two projects under the initiative: the Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons project and the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project.
Okoroji explained that Idiroko was deliberately chosen because border corridors could be vulnerable to trafficking due to their role as international entry and exit points.
“We have come to this community to enlighten everyone, especially along the border corridors, because we discovered that the border corridor is a very strategic place for trafficking because of the international entry and exit,” he said.
He added that the engagement was designed to strengthen community participation in the prevention, reporting, referral, arrest and prosecution of trafficking and violence against persons cases.
Okoroji said stakeholders would produce a communique through which communities would speak with one voice against trafficking and violence against persons.
He also disclosed that ICMPD and its partners would provide stakeholders with a compendium of service providers in Ogun State to facilitate referrals and support for victims.
The Ajiroba of Idiroko, Chief Afolabi Ogunsina, commended NAPTIP and ICMPD for the initiative, saying the training would strengthen community participation in combating trafficking.
At the end of the meeting, the 102 participants resolved to intensify public awareness campaigns against trafficking and violence in religious centres, schools, markets and other public spaces.
They also pledged to discourage harmful cultural and religious practices that could contribute to trafficking and violence against persons.
The participants further resolved to strengthen surveillance along transit routes and promptly report suspicious activities to relevant authorities.
