A few days ago, I shared the story of a kidnapped toddler who was taken away from his parents in Akwa Ibom State by a pair of kidnappers, Mfom and Esther. Thankfully he was rescued and has been staying with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, here in Imo State.

Yesterday, July 29, 2021, through the collaboration of our counterparts at the Ministry of Women Affairs in Akwa Ibom State, the parents of the boy were finally identified and they will be reunited soon. This is one of the many cases my office, along with other agencies and departments across the world are working hard to curb and eradicate.

I share the update on this story today, as we commemorate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, to shine a light on modern-day slavery, child kidnapping and trafficking. This act of violation is done for so many disgusting reasons; exploitation, harvesting of organs, forced labour, child marriage, begging, etc and should not be allowed.

The year's campaign is themed: “Victims’ Voices Lead the Way,” which focuses on listening and learning from survivors of human trafficking. We hope their experiences can help us establish effective measures to prevent this crime and to support their rehabilitation.

I urge us as individuals to be more aware of our surroundings, report any signs of forced labour or abuse towards a person; especially our girls and women, as they make up almost 80% of the victims being traded.

#humantraffickingawareness #endhumantrafficking #sextrafficking #humanrights #modernslavery #stophumantrafficking

H.E. Barr. Chioma Uzodimma
First Lady, Imo State