BY ONORIODE ETATSEMI
Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Chairman, Delta State Task Force on Human Trafficking, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole SAN has said that as part of measures to tackle human trafficking, the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori signed the Delta State Human Trafficking Prohibition Bill into law.
Ohwovoriole made the disclosure in Asaba during a one-day sensitization on human trafficking, organized by the Delta State Taskforce on Human Trafficking for NURTW, COMTOA and Private Park Owners’ in collaboration with the Directorate of Transport and the Girl Power Initiative in commemoration of the 2024 International Migrants Day.
He said that the state government was disappointed to discover that in last year’s report, Delta State overtook Edo state with the highest cases of human trafficking.
Ohwovoriole told transporters that they have a role to play in the fight against human trafficking, adding that they should support “the State Government to eradicate the issue of human trafficking, going the extra mile to report any red flags.” He said that now that the law is in place in the state, strict penalties will be meted out on persons found wanting including seizures of vehicles used for trafficking.
Speaking further, the representative of the Commissioner for Transport, Engr. Victor Omoniyi stated that Delta State had its transportation data management law, adding that data of whoever was transiting through the parks must be taken.
He warned them not to allow anybody who failed to give them their proper data to transit through their parks just as he informed the transporters that if the State government discovered that anybody was trafficking persons through their parks, their parks would not only be closed and their vehicles seized but they would also pay some fines and possibly be sentenced to jail. On her part, Mrs. May Ikoghode Ekido, the coordinator of Girls Power Initiative (GPI) who was one of the facilitators at the event, appreciated the Attorney-General for the support their organization has been receiving from him, especially for making it possible for them to be meeting with other stakeholders in the State and further proposed a meeting with the Ministry of Justice in a roundtable.
She stated that recent research has shown that the State is high in human trafficking and expressed hope that with the Delta State Human Trafficking Prohibition Law, the State would record tremendous achievement in the fight against human trafficking.
Also facilitating at the event, Mrs Nwanze Ijeoma implored the Transporters to take the issue of trafficking very seriously and be on the lookout as it always has negative impacts and anyone could fall a victim of it.
Others in attendance were State Deputy Chairman NURTW, the Secretary COMTOA, members of the State Task Force on Human Trafficking, the Directorate of Transport, members of the NURTW, COMTOA and the Ministry of Justice.
