The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) on Tuesday mobilised parents across Edo State to take the fight against human trafficking into homes and communities.
The centre, during an engagement with Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) executives from 40 schools, said this became imperative as traffickers now target families directly with deceptive schemes.
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The engagement under the School Anti-Human Trafficking Education and Advocacy (STEAP) project positioned parents as the first line of defence against the crime.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the STEAP project is implemented by ICMPD in collaboration with NAPTIP, the Girls Power Initiative and the Edo Ministry of Education.
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The project, funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, aims to dismantle trafficking networks through grassroots mobilisation and sustained community awareness.
In his presentation, the Benin Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Sam Offiah, said traffickers had become more sophisticated, shifting from street-level recruitment to calculated approaches that exploited trust within families.
Represented by Joy Ojiewa, head of NAPTIP’s Public Enlightenment Unit, Mr Offiah said that Edo remained a hotspot for sexual exploitation, while labour trafficking and organ harvesting continue to thrive.
He revealed that traffickers now deploy fake scholarships, fraudulent job offers, sextortion, online recruitment and baby factories to lure unsuspecting victims.
“Trafficking feeds on poverty, ignorance and the search for better opportunities. But criminals are now targeting parents directly, using deception to gain access to children,” he said.
The zonal commander stressed that prevention, driven by awareness, remained the most effective response, alongside protection, prosecution, partnership and policing.
Mercy Isibor, STEAP desk officer at the Edo Ministry of Education, said parents must act decisively to protect children, noting that government investments in education would be undermined if learners remain vulnerable.
“You are the bridge between the school, the home and the community. If we fail to secure our learners, then quality education becomes a mirage,” she said.
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Mrs Isibor attributed many trafficking cases to misinformation, peer pressure and lack of supervision, urging parents to take responsibility to spread accurate information and strengthen vigilance.
“We cannot do this alone. You must carry this message back to your schools, your meetings and your communities,” she stressed.
Daniella Ige, junior project officer for STEAP at ICMPD, Edo, said the engagement marked a strategic expansion of the anti-trafficking campaign.
“We cannot succeed without parents. When they understand the tactics traffickers use, they can stop exploitation before it happens,” she said.
Ms Ige said the project expected PTA executives to drive sustained advocacy within their circles, turning awareness into community-wide action.
She added that the initiative was already recording impact.
According to her, anti-trafficking vanguard clubs now strengthen peer-to-peer engagement among students and trafficking awareness is now integrated into school curricula.
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