Delta state government has vowed strict penalties on persons involved in human trafficking.
It also said if the state government discovered that anybody was trafficking persons through their parks, such motor parks would not only be closed but their vehicles seized.
The Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ekemejero Ohwovoriole made the disclosure in Asaba during a one day sensitization on human trafficking organized by the Taskforce for NURTW and Private Park Owners’ in collaboration with the Directorate of Transport and the Girl Power Initiative in commemoration of the 2024 International Migrants Day.
He said anybody found involved in human trafficking will have his vehicles seized.
He said the state government was disappointed to discover that in last year’s report, Delta State overtook Edo State with the highest cases of human trafficking, stressing that Delta is one of the leading states.
Ohwovoriole, also Chairman, Delta State Task Force on Human Trafficking, told transporters that they had a role to play in the fight against human trafficking.
“Transporters should support the state government to eradicate the issue of human trafficking by going the extra mile to observe the demeanor of their passengers to notice and report any red flags.
“Governor Sheriff Oborevwori signed the Delta State Human Trafficking Prohibition Bill into law as part of measures to tackle human trafficking.
“Now that the law is in place in the state, there will be strict penalties on persons found involved in human trafficking, including seizures of transportation vehicles used for it,” he said
Speaking further, the representative of the State Commissioner for Transport, Engr. Victor Omoniyi stated that Delta state had its transportation data management law, adding that data of whoever was transiting through the parks must be taken.
He warned them not to allow anybody who failed to give them their proper data to transit through their parks.
“If the state government discovered that anybody was trafficking persons through the parks, such parks would not only be closed and their vehicles seized but they would also pay some fines and possibly be sentenced to jail,” he warned.
On her part, Mrs May Ikoghode Ekido, the coordinator of Girls Power Initiative (GPI) who was one of the facilitators at the event, stated that recent research had shown that the state was high in human trafficking.
Human trafficking: Delta govt to confiscate motor parks, jail operators