Sanwo-Olu urges African leaders to join forces against ritual killings

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has called for stronger collaboration among African nations to combat quality trafficking, ritual maltreatment and exploitation.

Sanwo-Olu made the telephone astatine the opening of the First Annual Africa Colloquium Against Human Trafficking, successful concern with Pepperdine University, California, United States of America, connected Thursday successful Lagos.

The politician described the crimes arsenic an affront to humanity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the colloquium with the theme, “A United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice,” brought unneurotic stakeholders from authorities institutions, instrumentality enforcement agencies, civilian society, and planetary partners.

The politician was represented astatine the lawsuit by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin.

Sanwo-Olu, successful his address, said quality trafficking remained a sedate world affecting millions crossed Africa, peculiarly women and children, done forced labour, intersexual exploitation, and ritual killings.

“Behind each statistic is simply a face, a name, and a communicative of symptom that indispensable ne'er beryllium ignored,” helium said.

The politician said the conflict against trafficking and ritual maltreatment could lone beryllium won done a agreed effort crossed borders and institutions, portion urging governments, non-governmental organisations, and communities to fortify practice and nationalist awareness.

According to him, Lagos State has already taken decisive steps done its Task Force Against Human Trafficking, successful collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking successful Persons (NAPTIP) and planetary bodies.

This, helium said, was to fortify prosecution, rehabilitate survivors, and rise awareness.

Sanwo-Olu besides cautioned against the myths linking powerfulness oregon occurrence to ritual killings, describing them arsenic unsafe beliefs that indispensable beryllium replaced with cognition and empathy.

He assured survivors of the state’s continued support, pledging improved care, faster prosecutions, and enhanced cross-border investigations.

“This colloquium marks the time we determination from words to work.

“Together, we volition support our people, punish perpetrators and reconstruct dignity to those harmed,” helium said.

The politician besides described the gathering arsenic a motivation awakening for Africa, successful which the continent indispensable basal steadfast successful declaring that “our radical are not for sale, our children are not sacrifices, and our aboriginal volition ne'er beryllium built connected fearfulness oregon blood.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), besides reaffirmed the Federal Government’s committedness to ending quality trafficking, ritual abuse, and related crimes crossed Africa.

Fagbemi, who was represented by Mrs Ezinne Nwokoro, a unit subordinate successful the ministry, commended the organisers for providing a captious level to code the analyzable realities of quality trafficking and ritual abuse.

He, however, described specified crimes arsenic a sedate affront to humanity and a usurpation of planetary quality rights.

“This is not conscionable different event; it is simply a indispensable gathering for those of america moving successful antithetic capacities to face the achy world of trafficking, ritual abuse, and quality sacrifice successful Africa.

“If traffickers tin collaborate crossed borders, past truthful indispensable we.

“We request stronger determination partnerships, survivor-led initiatives and a justness strategy that protects alternatively than traumatises victims.

“The bureau of the AGF has prioritised the combat against quality trafficking done legislative reforms, enhanced practice with NAPTIP, and strengthened planetary collaboration.

“Let this not conscionable beryllium different league but a level for meaningful alteration guided by the voices and experiences of survivors,” helium said.

Fagbemi besides urged the participants to usage the colloquium arsenic a telephone to action.

Prof. Cameron Mc Collum, the Director, Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Pepperdine University, California, U.S., said the instauration would proceed to enactment with African nations to fortify justness systems and combat ritual maltreatment and quality trafficking.

Mc Collum said the instauration had partnered with African countries for implicit 20 years to beforehand entree to justness and transgression justness reform.

According ...