For years, residents across Plateau State have seen young men and women taken from their communities, lured by traffickers with promises of jobs and education that often end in exploitation.
On Thursday, the Plateau State Ministry of Justice and the State Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking held a one-day workshop in Jos that brought together community leaders, security agencies, civil society groups, and government officials.
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While officials described the workshop as a turning point, participants from local communities said frustration remains high because convictions are rare despite mounting cases of trafficking.
The chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Olivia Dazyem, told the participants that the “painful reality” is that existing laws are poorly enforced.
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“Communities complain that their children are taken, yet there are hardly any convictions. Until we go beyond talk, people will continue to lose trust,” Mrs Dazyem said.
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The Plateau State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Alexander Adole, warned that trafficking in the state has become a multi-layered crisis — legal, institutional, and social. He called for stronger grassroots engagement and sustainable funding.
Justice Charles Domlong, who represented the judiciary, noted that courts depend solely on strong evidence, not emotions, and called on investigators to ensure meticulous fact-finding so that genuine cases can be prosecuted effectively.
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In closing, the Plateau State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi, said the government will support the drafting of a new anti-trafficking law tailored to Plateau’s specific realities.
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