By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE International Centre for Migration Development and the Ministry of Justice, Netherlands have organized a two-day training programme for Transporters in Benin City, Edo State on measures and strategies against the menace of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants.

The training Workshop which focused on specific methods and strategies in identifying would-be trafficked victims also had in attendance members of the Edo State Transport Agency, (ESTA) and other stakeholders

Speaking at the program, the Executive Director of the Centre for Development and Cultural Interchange (CDCI), Mr. Emmanuel Sule explained that the involvement of stakeholders like the Edo State Transport Authority (ESTA) is to get the support and cooperation of operators in that sector.

Sule pointed out that the workshop was to strengthen the trainees’ capacity and would also inform with the different forms of exploitation and danger associated with the menace and understanding of international, national and state anti-trafficking laws and intervention by stakeholders.

He said “Since 2023 we have launched the transport union against trafficking in persons’ project which involves training drivers and transport operators and how to identify and report trafficking in persons to the law enforcement agencies. After some time, we discovered that it was really vital to get government agencies involved.

“As a Non-Governmental Organisation there is really nothing we could do. Getting the Edo State Transport Authorities involved is a strategy we developed. So that they can mandate or compare transporters to follow the necessary guidance that would help us reduce the movement of Edo people through vehicles to various states.

“We are building the capacity of the ministry’s staff to understand the dangers and what it entails to reduce the problem of human trafficking and irregular migration.

The Resource Person and the Executive Director, of Patriotic Citizen Initiative (PCI), Comrade Osita Osemene said most transport companies were involved in human trafficking unknown to them adding that transport authorities are stakeholders in the business of human trafficking, irregular migration and smuggling of migrants and that is why the training workshop is vital to those transporters.

He urged them to always alert the appropriate authority whenever there is a red flag indicating trafficked persons to enable victims to be rescued.

“Basically, our area of focus is the protection of migrants, in terms of promoting their dignity and to ensure they are integrated back into society.”

.”One of the key things this programme is coming out with is to equip them with the knowledge which will help them to transfer the knowledge to the beneficiaries, who are the transporters.

Trainers at the end of the workshops were also presented with certificates of attendance by the Organizers.