NAPTIP, Facebook to set up alert system to prevent human trafficking

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it will establish ‘Amber Alert Nigeria’ to prevent human trafficking.

The agency said it is collaborating with Facebook and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, US, to set up the response system.

Amber Alert Nigeria is an emergency response system where Facebook sends alerts to targeted Facebook communities to help find missing children in Nigeria who may be undergoing exploitation.

Nduka Nwawene, Benin zonal commander of NAPTIP, said the system would soon come on stream to help fight human trafficking.

Nwawene spoke on Saturday during an interview with NAN while commemorating the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (WDATIP).

WDATIP 2022 is a day set aside to raise awareness of the plight of victims of human trafficking and to promote and protect their rights against grave human rights violations, with the theme, “Use and Abuse of Technology”.

Nwawene said the partnership became necessary to introduce high-level technology in the fight against trafficking in persons because traffickers have also stepped up in the use of technology to facilitate illicit trade.

“Today, we see that technology helps in the recruitment of victims all over the world through online dating platforms where personal information of people are readily available via social media,” he said.

“It has also enabled the posting of fake job adverts, scholarships and recruitment to non-existent football clubs abroad.

“So, we are also using technology in no small measure to impede human trafficking activities by creating awareness to a large section of the society and also giving them the opportunity to report cases to NAPTIP easily.”

The commander said when someone submits to be trafficked, they are treated as victims by the agency because they may have been deceived.

He said these victims might not be told that they would be exploited or the level of exploitation they would face, as many of them come back with diseases like HIV and pregnancies while some are even killed.

He said NAPTIP is doing a lot to ensure that victims are given a warm welcome and protected as soon as they are rescued.

“I, however, use this opportunity to tell the state governments and Nigerians in general that the federal government cannot do it alone, we all need to be vigilant and not sacrifice our children on the altar of making money by exploiting them,” he added.

“State governments need to take ownership and complement the agency’s efforts in taking care of victims when they are rescued and taken to shelters in their states.”