*As NAPTIP seeks more support from faith based institutions

Catholic Archbishop, Ignatius Kaigama, has called for strengthen collaboration between religious institutions and the National Agrncy for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), to fight human trafficking and other vices.

He made the call at a Thanksgiving service to celebrate the 20th anniversary of NAPTIP and mark the International Day Against Human Trafficking, yesterday in Abuja.

The Prelate notes that religious leaders play very key role in encouraging their congregation to shun away social vices such as human trafficking among others.

He said religious institutions “have a large population of worshippers who come to listen to us speak the word of God to them but also we speak to them on contemporary social issues and trafficking in human beings is one of those vices that we tell our worshipers about.

“Ours is to enlighten them and as they go home, they will enlighten their families. In our schools also, we have many children so we talk to them on how to identify those trying to use them for trafficking. We do our best to ensure that we collaborate with the agency.”

While praying for the leadership of NAPTIP as well as flashing the red card against human trafficking, Archbishop Kaigama urged religious leaders to continue to support and partner government to end the scourge.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Trafficking Day, ‘Reach Every Victim of Human Trafficking, Leave No One Behind’, Director General, NAPTIP, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, said the public must understand that anyone can be a victim of human trafficking hence, victims should be treated as victims and not offenders.

“The them for this year’s celebration is simply ‘reach every victim of human trafficking, leave no one behind’, and what that reemphasizes is that we should keep treating victims as victims as Nd not criminals.

“It’s been twenty years for NAPTIP fighting human trafficking in Nigeria and we felt the church who is a very big ally in controlling and curbing the scourge of human trafficking in Nigeria, we thought it’s important for us to come here in addition to us giving thanks to God but also as an opportunity to sensitive parishioners, let them know the issues of human trafficking and understand what the red flags are so they can inturn protect themselves and empower themselves through further sensitisation,” she explains.

Professor Waziri-Azi points that “the visit today will make a huge impact I believe because all faith based organisations are strong institutions, their communities look up to them so if they sensitize members, they will definitely heed.”