The Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in Lagos on Wednesday urged the authorities to intensify the fight against human trafficking in the country.
The Director of the JDPC, Rev. Fr. Raymond Anoliefo, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ahead of the 2024 International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, commemorated on Feb. 8.
The UN set aside Feb. 8 of every year as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking.
It is to raise public consciousness on the dangers of human trafficking and ways to stop it.
Anoliefo told NAN in Lagos that JDPC would mark the day with a road show to draw public attention on the evil of human trafficking.
The theme of the 2024 advocacy against human trafficking is “Journeying in Dignity”.
The JDPC director,described the act of trafficking in human beings as a social deformity that had exposed many people to lives of captivity and despair.
He said that, the organisation would ccommemorate the day by marching through Lagos major roads to sensitise the general public, create awareness, counsel on ways victims could regain freedom and discourage latent victims.
According to him, many Nigerians and African youths are lured with the provision of jobs abroad only to be coopted into sexual slavery and other inhuman acts.
“The scourge is wasting our youths in their prime and smearing the country’s image in the international community.
“Every effort to halt this menace should not be spared, to rescue our people, many of whom die in the process abroad,”he said.
He advised parents to ensure protection of their children against preying agents of human trafficking.
The director called on government and the civil organisations to liaise to work out measures to halt the trend.
NAN reports that JDPC is a social arm of the Catholic Church with focus on social justice, human welfare and dignity.
