In the heartbeat of the nation, Edo, once infamously known as the epicentre of human trafficking in Nigeria, a new kind of resistance is taking root.
Not in courtrooms or campaign offices, but in classrooms.
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A fresh, student-driven initiative is emerging to challenge the longstanding menace of human trafficking.
Through the launch of Anti-Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons (A.TIPVAP) Vanguard Clubs in 50 public secondary schools across the state, young people are being empowered to become frontline advocates in a battle that has stolen the futures of countless boys and girls.
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This bold move is part of the School Anti-Trafficking Education and Advocacy Project (STEAP), a collaborative effort between the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), with funding support from the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The launch events brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders, government officials, security agencies, educators, students, and civil society actors, united by a shared urgency and a common cause.
And for Edo, the time for action is now.
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According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, over 1.6 million people are estimated to be living in modern slavery in Nigeria, with Edo featuring prominently in national and international trafficking networks.
Similarly, NAPTIP reports that as of 2022, over 60 per cent of female returnees from Libya and Europe identified Edo as their origin. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) also notes that Edo accounts for over 50 per cent of irregular migrants assisted back to Nigeria since 2017.
These figures underscore the urgent need for early intervention and targeted awareness campaigns, particularly among young people, who remain the primary targets of traffickers.
At the inauguration of the Vanguard clubs, NAPTIP’s Zonal Commander in Benin, Sam Offiah, delivered a sobering address.
Speaking directly to the students, he warned of the deceptive tactics traffickers often employed to lure victims.
“Human trafficking is dehumanising. It reduces you to a commodity,” he said with conviction.
“Anyone who asks you to leave school and promises you freedom, riches abroad, or a better life without informing your parents is a trafficker.”
A lawyer by profession, Mr Offiah recounted harrowing tales of young girls seduced by fake job offers, only to find themselves trapped in cycles of sexual exploitation, forced labour, or even organ harvesting.
His message was clear: awareness is the first line of defence, and education is the most powerful weapon in this fight.
“We are here to inaugurate this vanguard so that you know these dangers and help spread the message. You are not meant to feed your parents. You are meant to stay in school and pursue your dreams,” he said.
The NAPTIP boss emphasised the critical role of students in spreading awareness, hence the decision to create the initiative.
“You must take the message home, to your classmates and your friends. When you hear someone promise jobs in Europe through Libya, tell them the truth.
“Over 80 per cent die crossing the Sahara. Some drink their urine. Some are never buried. Vultures feast on their remains,” he asserted.
He also alerted the public to the new trends in human trafficking, “which is exploiting the digital space to lure young Nigerians into ‘modern-day’ slavery.
“We are seeing an upsurge in internet trafficking. Traffickers now use fake online profiles, phishing tactics, and blackmail with nude photos to manipulate and coerce victims,” he said.
Representing ICMPD, Elvis Ederibhalo, project officer of STEAP for Edo, explained the broader objective of the initiative.
“We are here because we believe that education is the strongest weapon we have to prevent trafficking. The vanguard you are joining today is not just a club. It’s a movement.
“You will be trained to identify trafficking tactics, speak up, and protect yourselves and others,” he told the students.
Mr Ederibhalo explained how a recent survey by the ICMPD revealed that 75 per cent of rescued victims of human trafficking were school-age children, which underscored the need to cut it from the root.
Members of the anti-human trafficking vanguard club in Ihogbe Secondary School, Benin City
On the part of the government, Mercy Imasuen-Isibor, desk officer for STEAP at the Edo State Ministry of Education, hailed the project as a strategic step in combating the state’s reputation as a trafficking hub.
“This campaign is timely and crucial. By establishing these vanguards, we now have in-school ambassadors who will carry out sensitisation activities.
“They will be trained to recognise trafficking strategies and report suspicious movements.
“We are deliberately involving school authorities, parents, and community leaders so that the message goes beyond school walls,” she said.
Mrs Imasuen-Isibor further explained that the education ministry would ensure the sustainability of the clubs by monitoring their activities and integrating the anti-trafficking agenda into existing school support frameworks.
“With 50 schools in this first phase, our goal is to eventually expand to every school in Edo State. This way, we can ensure a systemic cultural change,” the official said.
Representing the Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, his aide, Benedict Omordon, described the initiative as a welcome development
“If you don’t inform the youth, you deform them. The Assembly takes trafficking seriously and is working on laws to protect the vulnerable.
“Human trafficking is not always about being taken abroad. It also happens within our neighbourhoods.
“Anyone forced into begging, street hawking, or house help without consent is a victim,” he said.
In the same vein, the principals of participating schools are not left out, as they also enthusiastically welcomed the vanguard clubs.
The Principal of Oba Ewuare Grammar School, Victor Orumwense, called the move “historic and transformative.”
“Human trafficking is a crime against humanity,” he told students during the launch.
“It strips people of their agency. These clubs will help build student consciousness and resilience. I hope every student here will see themselves as an ambassador of light against this darkness.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by other principals in Emotan College, Oredo Girls, Oba Akenzua II, Ihogbe, Egor, Angelican Girls and YWCA schools, among others, who pledged institutional support to sustain the vanguard activities.
Perhaps, the most powerful testimony came from Excellence Osamuyimen, president of the new anti-trafficking club at Oredo Girls Secondary School. In a stirring speech, she called on her peers to stay vigilant.
“We understand the hard choices out there. But human trafficking is a crime that ruins dreams. It dehumanises. It promises freedom, but brings death and disease.
“Our parents should not be our reason to fall victim. We must finish school, become professionals, and help others rise,” he said.
Osamuyimen applauded NAPTIP, ICMPD, and the ministry of education for choosing her school, saying, “We will not disappoint you. We will take this message to every corner.”
While the launch of anti-trafficking clubs in Edo schools is an encouraging step, stakeholders agree that it is only the beginning.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 46 per cent of detected victims in West Africa are children, with girls especially vulnerable.
Many fall prey to traffickers under the weight of poverty, peer pressure, family expectations, or manipulation.
READ ALSO: NAPTIP begins rehabilitation of woman rescued from Iraqi taskmaster
STEAP’s approach, rooted in education, peer-to-peer advocacy, and school-community partnerships. offers a promising, sustainable path forward.
With sustained support from NAPTIP, ICMPD, and international partners like the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the hope is that today’s students will rise as tomorrow’s defenders: informed, resilient, and unwavering in their stand against exploitation.
If Edo succeeds, it could become a model for other regions across Nigeria, where trafficking networks continue to adapt and evolve.
For now, a seed has been planted in 50 schools. And in those classrooms, among chalkboards, uniforms, and morning assemblies, a quiet resistance is growing.
One student at a time. One voice at a time. Until the chain is finally broken.
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