A non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Media Coalition and Awareness To Halt Trafficking (MeCAHT), has urged the federal government and stakeholders to sustain awareness campaigns to combat the scourge of human trafficking.
The executive director of MeCAHT, Ikape James Ikape, made the call yesterday in Abuja during a stakeholders meeting with the theme: "Preventive Action Against Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Forced Marriage."
Ikape emphasised the need to keep creating awareness around these issues, stating, "Whether we like it or not, people need to hear about these issues." He stressed the importance of media engagement in bringing up these issues daily.
He emphasised that the more people hear about these issues, the more aware they become, leading to increased caution and reporting of such issues when encountered.
Ikape urged continuous efforts in creating awareness and enlightening the populace, expressing hope for tangible results to emerge.
On Nigeria's challenges, Ikape noted that the issue lies not in legislation but in implementation.
He suggested that stricter implementation of existing laws could yield better results, especially in punishing perpetrators of human trafficking.
However, he commended the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), acknowledging the efforts of its director-general, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, in prosecuting human trafficking perpetrators.
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He expressed optimism that continued results in this regard would deter potential offenders and reduce instances of such crimes.
On her part, the project officer MeCAHT, Setkop Plangnan, stated that MeCHAT is currently executing a project titled, "Preventive Action Against Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Forced Marriage."
She said the project is in phases. The first phase was the production of a movie titled "My Story," which captures forced labour, forced marriage, and human trafficking.
She said the second phase of the project is a radio show titled: "E concern me," which was aired through Eagles FM.
She, however, noted that another phase involves posting messages on their social media handles on forced labour, forced marriage, and human trafficking.
She reiterated that they have carried out awareness campaigns and have been able to reach out to more than 13,000 people with the movie titled "My Story," and another phase involves stakeholders' engagement.
"We expect that at the end of this project, many more people will be aware of the dangers of human trafficking, forced labor, and forced marriage," she said.
