More than 500 students of Ifedapo Community Comprehensive High School, Abalabi, Ogun State, have been sensitised on the dangers of human trafficking in an awareness campaign led by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Mrs. Bosede Jimoh, Ogun State Commander of NAPTIP, revealed this on Sunday in Abeokuta, where she highlighted the importance of early education in shielding young people from falling prey to traffickers.
“Young people are often the prime targets of traffickers, and without early intervention, they are left vulnerable,” Jimoh stated.
The awareness event is part of the Schools Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in collaboration with NAPTIP.
Students were informed about the various forms of trafficking, particularly sexual exploitation, which remains a significant threat within and outside Nigeria.
The programme also addressed related crimes such as child labour, migrant smuggling, and illegal adoptions, issues Jimoh said are common in Ogun State.
“Victims suffer deeply—physically, emotionally, and psychologically—especially when intervention and rehabilitation are delayed,” she noted.
Thirty pupils were inducted into the newly established Anti-Trafficking and Violence Prevention Vanguard Club, a student-led initiative aimed at sustaining advocacy and peer education within the school.
According to Jimoh, since STEAP’s launch in August 2023, Ogun NAPTIP has secured two convictions, with several other cases ongoing in court.
She reiterated NAPTIP’s commitment to combating trafficking through consistent, school-based sensitisation, noted the strong student turnout, and the campaign’s growing impact.
“Awareness is the first line of defense,” she added.
