An NGO, Devatop Centre for Africa Development (DCAD), has sensitised traders in Enugu to dangers of human trafficking, organ harvesting and the need to report cases of human trafficking.
Members of the group took the campaign to Kenyatta Market Enugu, carrying placards with inscription, “No more silence on human trafficking, “If you see human trafficking, Talkam”, and others.
The Zonal Coordinator, DCAD, Kingsley Ozo, who led the campaign, decried the frequent issues of trafficking in persons and organ harvesting in the country.
He told the traders that the campaign inside the market was to sensitise members of the public, especially traders, to the dangers of human trafficking and organ harvesting.
Ozo said DCAD and its partners had taken same campaign to some communities in Enugu State such as Nkanu, Obeleagu Umuna and Enugu capital.
According to him, the programme, which is carried out under Palladium, a leading implementer of international development programmes, is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented in Nigeria by DCAD.
The zonal coordinator told the traders not to be silent after seeing any case of human trafficking or organ harvesting around, urging them to speak out to end the menace.
“We have a referral centre where victims are counseled; you should report cases of trafficking and organ harvesting to appropriate authority for necessary actions to be taken,” he advised.
He also advised parents and guardians to stop giving out their children to people for child labour or organ harvesting, noting that most times people were trafficked in the name of rendering help to their families.
Responding. Chairman of Kenyatta Market Association, Mr Chinwuba Igwesi, thanked the group for the campaign, stressing that security agents should intensify the fight against kidnapping and trafficking in persons.
The chairman, who decried the rising cases of human trafficking, kidnapping, organ harvesting and banditry in Nigeria, said it was not something one would ignore.
He wondered why some people had taken to kidnapping and trafficking, adding that Nigeria was not known for that in the past.
“I don’t know why when you sent someone to school or somewhere, you would not rest until the person came back,” he said, while praying for God’s intervention.
He advised parents and guardians to keep their children together, always pray for them and keep them busy.
“Going outside, playing anyhow, does not help now and every parent should have open eyes on their children,” he further advised.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria