… First Lady’s Office leads sensitization walk, vows to prosecute traffickers
BENIN CITY — The Edo State Government has intensified its crackdown on human trafficking with a large-scale awareness campaign rally led by the Office of the First Lady and the State Migration Agency to mark the 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
The sensitization rally, with the theme “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime, End the Exploitation,” drew participants from various ministries, civil society, and residents as they marched across major streets in Benin City to denounce trafficking and illegal migration.
Speaking at the rally to strategic locations in Benin City, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council Press Centre, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, Coordinator of the First Lady’s Office, warned that the State will not spare any trafficker.
“We are sending a clear message, Edo will not condone trafficking in any form. Offenders will face full prosecution,” she said.
She revealed that Edo has launched a comprehensive reintegration strategy, including empowerment schemes for returnees and a new “Level Up” programme that links survivors with mentors and vocational training opportunities.
“We are restoring dignity to those affected and preventing others from falling into the same trap,” she added.
Director General of the Migration Agency, Hon. Lucky Agazuma, acknowledged Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to eradicating trafficking and urged communities to report suspicious activities.
“If you see something, say something. That’s how we break the chain,” he said.
Also speaking, the DG of the Diaspora Agency, Dr. Loretta Ogboro-Okoh, lauded inter-agency collaboration as critical in the anti-trafficking effort.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, pledged continued media support but however decried the challenge of families compromising justice by accepting bribes to drop trafficking cases.
“This undermines accountability. We must all rise against this menace,” he stated.
The rally marked a renewed push in Edo’s long-standing fight against human trafficking, with state officials declaring that protection of the vulnerable remains a top priority under the new administration.
