Human trafficking has plagued so many states in Nigeria with Plateau state in particular being a hotbed where the devilish act flourished with a high degree of comfortability due to lack of strategic plans and coordinated approaches to tame the act.
However, on Tuesday, 26 March 2024 during the 26th National Stakeholders Consultative Forum On Human Trafficking In Nigeria holding in Abuja, organized by National Agency For the Prohibition of Trafficking In Person, NAPTIP and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes(UNODC), funded by Swiss and Dutch Government and the European Union with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as the Chief Host, the sleepless nights of Hon Caroline Panglang Dafur, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development paid off. Current trajectory showed that the state has exited the top 10 states with prevalent cases of Trafficking In Persons (TIPs) after review of data and statistics
According to www.pointblank.com.ng, the conference which is being attended by Commissioners for Women Affairs, Commissioners for Justice and Attorneys General, State NAPTIP Commandants, Security Agencies, CSOs, Other International Partners and Consulates is essentially reviewing the status, statistics and national action plan implementation. Each state made their presentation and highlighted challenges through their Attorney General.
Plateau state was however prominent and referenced positively because of the doggedness and fearlessness in the fight against human trafficking embarked upon by Hon Caroline Panglang Dafur. Receiving the cheering news, Hon Dafur attributed the positive turn around to the unlimited support she enjoyed from His Excellency, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang and the collaborative efforts of the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General.
The fulfilled Commissioner said though she savours the sweet news for now, she is not lifting her legs off the pedals until the state is ranked the best in the country. She said “as a mother, it is not only culturally barbaric and callous but it is also religiously abominable to traffick a child because children are a blessing and heritage from God”
Yet, the success of Dafur’s approach to fighting trafficking in person in Plateau State is reliant upon overcoming certain challenges. Barriers such as cultural norms, religious traditions, economics constraints amongst other barriers must be addressed to ensure the success of her action plan.
Stakeholders, including the government, private sector, security agencies and international community, must rally together to dismantle these barriers and facilitate the activation of this grand vision for the preservation of human dignity. Sustained success for the long term benefit of the state hinges fundamentally on enhancing the intelligence gathering for proactiveness instead of the current practice of reactiveness