Speakers have urged the Federal Government to impose stricter penalties on human traffickers.

They called on the Federal Government to intensify the war against human trafficking by giving stiffer penalties to culprits.

According to them, stiffer punishments to human traffickers would serve as a deterrent to others.


One of the Speakers, Special Adviser to Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said human trafficking has done serious havoc to families.
Adesina, former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors suggested that traffickers caught by security agencies should be seriously punished and not allowed to go scot free.
Adesina who is a former Managing Editor of The Sun Publishing Limited emphasised the devastating impact of human trafficking on families.
He recommended that traffickers apprehended by security agencies face severe consequences rather than being allowed to evade punishment.
Adesina said this during the launch of a book titled; “We are Priceless”, authored by award winning journalist, Juliana Francis.
He commended the author Juliana Francis for taking time to publish the book “We are Priceless”, calling on the government to endorse it into the school curriculum, especially in secondary schools.
According to him, the book is a great advocacy in the war against child trafficking and some other anti-social acts in the country.
In his words, the book should be adopted as resource material by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, and other relevant security agencies.
He wants the book to ends in the school curriculum as a recommended text for secondary schools, as it would also be a great idea.
According to him, the book highlights the evils of whoredom and child trafficking, it also traces the source majorly to dysfunctional families, poverty, lack of care for children, the get-rich-quick syndrome, and other ills.
In his remarks, Chairman, Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase, described human trafficking as an organised crime that must be discouraged by the government.
The retired Inspector General of Police said the government must train and equip law enforcement officers to mitigate crime in the country.
According to him, human trafficking is really an organised crime and it is something that must be discouraged, and all hands must be on deck to stop it.
He said law enforcement officers must be able to know the signs of the crime, in order to mitigate the issue.
Arase lauded Juliana Francis for her dedication in publishing the book titled; “We Are Priceless.”
On her part, renowned and veteran broadcaster Bimbo Oloyede, urged the government to incorporate the essential book into the secondary school curriculum, making it a primary resource for advocating against human trafficking.
Oloyede urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts in combating human trafficking, recognising it as an organised and heinous form of criminal activity that demands immediate action.
She stressed the need for the government investment in training and equipping law enforcement officers to effectively combat crime within the country.
Author of the book, Juliana Francis, said it is a family book, whereby everybody can read and be able to educate somebody.
According to Francis, imagine a society where everyone is talking about one issue and reading the book and you are seeing the red flags.
“So, if someone is coming to say I’m taking your child abroad, you should be asking yourself what is the motive. I think the impact is that everybody should become more enlightened about issues that have to do with human trafficking.”
Francis, the author of “We Are Priceless,” and a journalist of great repute with numerous awards to that effect, expressed her elation at the success of the book launch.
She described the book as a family-friendly resource that not only educates but also highlights the dangers and warning signs associated with human trafficking.