L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Blaid group, Mrs Ochuko Momoh; director general, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Dame Julie Okah-Donli and founder, the Osasu Show Foundation Mrs Osasu Igbinedion, during the distribution of palliatives to stakeholders in Abuja yesterday. PHOTO: OKEKE JANE
By Okeke Jane
The National Agency for The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has asked Nigerians to be cautious of new tricks deployed by human traffickers on unsuspecting victims.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, made this know yesterday during the distribution of palliatives to stakeholders in Abuja.
She said, “It has come to the intelligence of the agency that the traffickers are taking advantage of the pandemic which is currently disturbing or destroying lives especially in some of the destination countries to deceived the general public.
“The traffickers are busy designing phony websites and other social media software offering non existent jobs and other watering offers abroad.
“They have also designed messages and jingles on some media stations announcing scholarships and various types of jobs abroad aimed at deceiving and trapping desperate and unwary young people.
“NAPTIP wishes to call on parents and youths to ignore such offers no matter how juicy they look. Adding that the underlining results of such offers is gross exploitation in various horrific forms.”
Donli noted that some of the destination countries are in the process of formulating a legislation that would bar migrants from coming to such countries for a period of time.
She also call on media operators to vet all commercials carefully before aired in order not to aid the recruitment and trafficking of our citizens.
Covid-19 on the other hand also presented an opportunity for our youths to think out of the box and see how they can make best of the various opportunities that abound in Nigeria.
