By Rakiya A. Muhammad
A frontier non-profit organisation against human trafficking in Nigeria, Devatop Centre for Africa Development, has trained journalists in Sokoto state on countering human trafficking.
According to the DEVATOP Executive Director, Joseph Osuigwe, the trained journalists would create awareness, monitor, and report incidences of trafficking in persons (TIP) in the State.
He said the training, funded by USAID under the Nigeria Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement – Nigeria SCALE and implemented by Palladium, is part of the ‘Talkam’ Against Trafficking in Persons Project (TATIP) executed in Delta and Enugu states.
He noted that cases of human trafficking are under-reported by the media in Nigeria, adding that the knowledge from the training would spur journalists in the affected states to report on trafficking issues.
Osuigwe stated: “What we hear about human trafficking is far less than what happened. I can say it is under-reported in Nigeria.”
“When people see human trafficking, they have two choices: either to speak out and take action or to keep silent,” he pointed out.
“But keeping silent doesn’t mean they are doing the right thing; they are wrong. They are indirectly in support of human trafficking.”
The Executive Director underscored the need for media involvement in the fight against human trafficking, saying, “Human trafficking is bigger than what you think and closer than you imagine.”
The Executive Director urged the journalists to develop robust reporting that exposes the antics of human traffickers and amplifies the voices of victims who are mostly unheard in society.
In his remark, Deputy Coordinator of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) in Sokoto State, Nasir Lawan, said the media has a better role to play in the fight against human trafficking because of their influence and privileged information they possessed to inform the public.
He pledged that NACTAL, as a civil society body, would continue to partner with all stakeholders to tackle trafficking in persons.
Chair Nigerian Union of Journalists in the State, Comrade Dalhatu Magori, commended the DEVATOP and its partners for initiating a project that up-skill the knowledge of working journalists on human trafficking in the State.
He, however, urged the participants to always uphold the ethics of journalism and objectivity in their daily reporting.
While describing the media as a leading change agent in society, he pleaded for more media engagement by all stakeholders to boost the fight against human trafficking in the State.
Comrade Rabiu Bello Gandi of Save The Child Initiative (STCI) delivered a paper: ‘Overview of the activities of Trafficking in Persons’, while Ethics of Journalism and Understanding the 5 Ps of Countering Trafficking In Persons (TIP) were presented by Comrade Dalhatu Magori and Hassana Muhammad of Sokoto NAPTIP office, respectively.
Other papers presented include Countering Trafficking in Persons and the Roles of Journalists by State Acting Head, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), Abubakar Basiru, and Writing TIP Investigative Stories/Report with Victims Centred Approach by NAPTIP Press Officer, Mr Vincent Adekoye among others.
3The highlight of the two-day training program was the inauguration of the Journalists Against Trafficking In Persons Forum (J-TIP), performed by the state Chair Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Dalhatu Magori.
