Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Professor Joy Ezeilo, says the death of Pope Francis came to her as a huge shock, stressing that the departed Pontiff was a dogged fighter against human trafficking.

In a statement to The Guardian from her base in the United States, Prof. Ezeilo, who is also a former dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, described the late Pope as “a beacon of divine grace, a tireless advocate for the voiceless, vulnerable, victimized, and impoverished.”

While noting that Pope Francis era ushered in international understanding and peace, Prof. Ezeilo declared: “His life’s work, a testament to unwavering faith and devotion to God and humanity, will forever inspire Christendom and beyond.

“I had the profound honour of meeting Pope Francis in 2013 at the Vatican during the Interdenominational Conference he organized on Human Trafficking. At that time, I served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

“One memory stands out vividly: an Argentine woman, rescued by Pope Francis himself when he was the Bishop in Argentina, shared how his intervention saved her life from the abyss of trafficking.”