By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Abia state government, in collaboration with the National Agency for prohibition of trafficking in persons (NAPTIP) and international organization for migration (IOM), has inaugurated Abia state task force on human trafficking, as part of efforts to combat the menace of human trafficking in the state.
The inauguration of the task force was aimed at strengthening collaborative actions to prevent, combat, and ultimately eradicate human trafficking in Abia State.
The governor, represented by the deputy Ikechukwu Emetu, emphasized that the establishment of the task force reflects the administration’s resolve to address the root causes of trafficking,ensure justice for victims and promote public awareness across communities
Providing further insights to the scale of the challenges, Director General of NAPTIP Haji Binta Bello disclosed that since the agency’s establishment,a total of 27,496 victims of human trafficking have been rescued nationwide noting that 24,883 of the victims are Nigerians,while 1,593 are from other countries.
Abia state he says currently ranks 9th among states in Nigeria in terms of vulnerability to human trafficking,underscoring the importance of the task force
