NAPTIP Alerts Nigerians About New Tricks Human Traffickers Use To Find Their Victims
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP) on Wednesday listed tricks used by human traffickers to find their victims.
Director of Public Enlightenment, NAPTIP, Mr. Josiah Emerole, who made the disclosure at a training organized for media professionals in Asaba, Delta, said the traffickers often capitalized on victims’ ignorance.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the four days training is organized by NAPTIP in partnership with Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria (A- TIPSOM NIGERIA),
A-TIPSOM NIGERIA is a Spanish project funded by European Union (EU) to fight human trafficking.
The training is also aimed at developing a standard reporting template for members of the Trafficking in Persons media corps and public relations unit of NAPTIP.
Emerole said the new tricks utilized by Traffickers in Persons (TiP) include technology, hunting, fishing, surrogacy, and sports; especially football, orphanage, and homes, among others.
He said that before now, the human traffickers were using direct contact, also known as physical contact, but have opted for the new tricks.
Emerole explained that the traffickers often leverage on social media to reach the public, especially their target. He further stated:
“Through this, innocent Nigerians have been trafficked. Thank God that NAPTIP is clamping down on these evil traders.”
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On hunting tricks, he said the traffickers would continually request friendship on social media either using nicknames or impostors.
While explaining the fishing tricks, Emerole said traffickers often published mouth-watering job offers to entice unsuspecting job seekers.
The NAPTIP director, however, stressed that technology has a positive impact on combating crime, enhancing prosecution, and fast dissemination of news. He added:
“However, offers through social media must be investigated through the agency.”
He explained that any couple with children that still use surrogates could be a suspected case of child trafficking or labor. He said:
“Orphanage trafficking is more rampant with unregistered orphanages and homes, with owners canvassing for poor parents under the disguise of caring for their children.
“We appeal to all parents to check the legal status of the Orphanage with the relevant local government area before releasing their wards.”
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According to Emerole, traffickers often disguise themselves as orphanage operators. He said:
“Not too long the agency recovered about 75 children out of about 140 children trafficked by an orphanage.
“NAPTIP would never relent to beam it’s searchlight on these cunning individuals and exposed them.”
He further disclosed that over 20,000 Nigerian youths were trapped in shanties in mining areas in Mali, where they were being sexually exploited.