IOM urges improved prosecution to eliminate human trafficking

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM)’s Deputy Chief of Mission to Nigeria, Pace Paola, has called for more favourable judgments to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria. She disclosed this while reviewing the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria after the award ceremony of the third edition of the ‘Short Film Contest on Combating Trafficking in […]

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM)’s Deputy Chief of Mission to Nigeria, Pace Paola, has called for more favourable judgments to eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria.

She disclosed this while reviewing the fight against human trafficking in Nigeria after the award ceremony of the third edition of the ‘Short Film Contest on Combating Trafficking in Persons in Nigeria’, in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking about the importance of effective prosecution of suspects, she said, “You need to eliminate the trafficking networks.

“These are networks that are powerful and are powerful because they generate income. You need to cut this income. As soon as these networks are dismantled, the bank accounts frozen, assets sold and money used for compensating the victim, you will defeat the network. That’s the only way forward.”

“We have learned lots of things. In particular, the fact that to eradicate trafficking, you need to work on the prevention side and the prosecution side.”

She said the competition started with 40 submissions in 2023 but increased to 50 in 2024 and 80 in 2025, stating that this showed more Nigerians were now interested in the fight against human trafficking.

“So there’s more interest from young Nigerians to also join the counter-trafficking path through storytelling, through storytelling from real case scenarios, those they have witnessed in their own community, or stories they want to tell,” Pace.

On her part, Kehinde Akomolafe, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)’s Director of Public Engagement, said the agency had been working hard to prosecute suspects of human trafficking since its inception, disclosing that over 700 convictions had been secured so far.

“We’ve carried out quite a lot of sensitisation and training of judges in the sphere of human trafficking, such that we have some designated courts that treat only human trafficking cases, and we have gotten over 700 convictions in the agency,” she said.

Akomolafe noted that apart from prosecution, it was essential for Nigerians to know that human trafficking is real, adding that, “Most times, people become victims because of their ignorance and their vulnerability and the more we talk about it, the more people get to know.”

She said there was a need to increase awareness creation interventions and also break the culture of silence.

Babalola Mathew Oluwatobi emerged the winner of the competition with his film, “Hostage”, and won $2,500 prize money.

Jayeoba Adediji David, with “Promise beyond the border”, took the second position and won $1,500, while Ndulue Chukwunonso took the third position with his film “I clicked the link” and got $1,000 cash reward.