Members of the Ogun State Task Force on Human Trafficking have undergone a three-day capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening the state’s capacity to investigate, prosecute and effectively manage human trafficking cases.
The workshop, organised by the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education Advocacy Project (STEAP), in partnership with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), brought together stakeholders from the security, legal, welfare, civil society and media sectors.
Declaring the training open at the Ministry of Justice Conference Room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Oluwasina Ogungbade, described human trafficking as a crime against humanity that required concerted efforts to combat.
Ogungbade, who was represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Olusegun Olaotan, stressed the importance of thorough and professional investigations in securing justice for victims and ensuring that perpetrators were brought to book.
He commended the organisers for initiating the training, describing it as timely and essential to strengthening the state’s response to trafficking-related offences.
The STEAP Project Manager, Mrs Rhoda Dia-Johnson, said the workshop was designed to address emerging trends in human trafficking while also bridging operational gaps arising from staff turnover and migration.
Dia-Johnson explained that the programme was particularly necessary to equip new members of the task force with the requisite knowledge while providing refresher training for existing personnel.
She said, “We recognised the need to train new members and provide refresher courses to ensure our task force is equipped to identify, respond to and combat human trafficking effectively.”
Speaking on local trafficking trends, the NAPTIP State Coordinator, Mrs Abosede Jimoh, warned that traffickers were increasingly exploiting social media and other digital platforms to recruit and manipulate potential victims.
Similarly, the NAPTIP Legal Officer, Mr Femi Kehinde, examined Nigeria’s legal framework on human trafficking and stressed the need for firm judicial action against perpetrators, describing trafficking as a grave violation of human rights.
In their respective presentations, an ICMPD resource person, Mr Simeon Favour, and the STEAP State Coordinator, Mr Samuel Okoroji, trained participants on case-reporting metrics and procedures for updating the National Anti-Trafficking Database.
To further strengthen inter-agency collaboration, the Coordinator of the Ogun State Task Force, Oloye Akolawole Shoremi, outlined multi-stakeholder referral pathways for trafficking cases.
Shoremi also announced plans to publish a public directory detailing the roles and responsibilities of local service providers, with a view to improving coordination and ensuring that victims receive appropriate support and protection.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Dr Mary Okeriafo of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Olubunmi Ashimolowo of the Gender Development Initiative and Mr Taiwo Adebajo commended the organisers for the initiative.
They noted that the practical knowledge and actionable insights gained during the workshop would significantly strengthen the operational response to human trafficking and improve inter-agency collaboration across Ogun State.
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