The Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. (Mrs.) Yinka Omorogbe, has said the state government’s campaign against human trafficking and illegal migration is rooted in legal structures and is not run as social project.
Omorogbe who is also the Chairperson, Edo State Task Force Against Human Trafficking, disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, Edo State capital, noting, “The strategy adopted by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to curb human trafficking and illegal migration is driven by legal structures and is being institutionalised with the incoming legislation to stem the menace. This is not a social project. Obaseki’s vision is to make human trafficking and illegal migration history in the state, as he is desirous that trafficking ends while he is still governor.â€
The move to use legal structures in the fight against human trafficking is informed by the fact that similar efforts in the past only focused on providing social safety nets, which did not solve the problem for years.
According to Prof. Omorogbe, “It is important to have legal backing for the campaign against human trafficking. If there is no legal teeth in the fight against human trafficking and all you are doing is social project, you will not be sending a strong message against traffickers, who benefit from the illicit trade.â€
She added, “The state government domiciled the taskforce under the office of the Attorney General to give the campaign against human trafficking the needed legal structures it requires. It must be noted that the state government is not against migration, but will continue to encourage those with interest to migrate, to do so legally and with the right papers and qualification.â€
