Sanwo-Olu, Fagbemi, others rally Africa against ritual killings, human trafficking

By Henry Ojelu

LAGOS — African leaders, jurists, and anti-trafficking advocates person launched what they described arsenic a “moral rebellion” to rescue the continent from the scourge of ritual killings and quality trafficking.

Leading the complaint were Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, Lagos Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), NAPTIP Director-General, Mrs. Binta Bello, and Prof. Cameron Collum of Pepperdine University, USA.

The leaders spoke astatine the First Annual Africa Colloquium Against Human Trafficking, held successful Lagos nether the taxable “A United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice.” The two-day lawsuit brought unneurotic representatives from 15 African countries to illustration a coordinated effect to the increasing nexus betwixt ritual maltreatment and quality trafficking.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, described quality trafficking and ritual killings arsenic “heinous crimes that portion victims of their dignity and humanity.” He called for a agreed continental response, noting that the combat indispensable transcend borders and institutions.

“Human trafficking is not an abstract problem,” helium said. “It affects millions crossed Africa — women, children, and adjacent men — done forced labour, intersexual exploitation, and ritual abuse. Behind each statistic is simply a face, a story, and a name.”

He noted that Lagos had intensified the combat done its Task Force Against Human Trafficking, successful concern with NAPTIP and planetary agencies, focusing connected prosecution, nationalist enlightenment, and subsister rehabilitation. Sanwo-Olu condemned the superstitions that substance ritual killings, describing them arsenic “barbaric relics that person nary spot successful a progressive Africa.”

“Our advancement indispensable remainder connected knowledge, compassion, and lawful advancement — not blood,” helium declared.

Speaking connected behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mrs. Ezinne Nwaokoro, Team Lead for Trafficking successful Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (TIPSOM), said the Federal Government is committed to dismantling trafficking networks done ineligible and diplomatic collaboration.

“Ritual-linked trafficking represents an adjacent darker magnitude of the crime,” she said. “Traffickers exploit not lone poorness but content systems, utilizing oaths and rituals to enslave victims psychologically.”

Lagos Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, traced the roots of trafficking and ritual killings to slavery, describing some arsenic “modern offshoots of an past commercialized successful quality lives.”

“Human trafficking is simply a business; ritual maltreatment is its darkest by-product,” helium said. “Centuries aft the abolition of slavery, we inactive face its shadows — quality beings bought, sold, and sacrificed for gain.”

He urged communities to study suspicious activities and enactment victims, pledging that the Lagos judiciary would enforce strict punishment connected offenders.

Lagos Attorney-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), described trafficking and ritual killings arsenic “commercialised evil” driven by poverty, greed, and silence.

“These are not myths; they are real,” helium said, citing caller ritual-related murders successful Port Harcourt and Ilorin. “Silence has ne'er protected the susceptible — it lone shields the oppressor.”

Pedro disclosed that betwixt 2022 and 2024, Lagos rescued 4,700 victims and reached 5 cardinal residents done consciousness campaigns. He added that the Lagos Organ Harvesting Prohibition Law 2024 imposes stiff penalties connected some aesculapian and non-medical offenders progressive successful organ trafficking.

He declared, “No federation tin triumph this conflict alone. Let past accidental that from Lagos, Africa took a basal and ne'er turned back.”

NAPTIP Director-General, Mrs. Binta Bello, represented by the Director of Intelligence, Mr. Josiah Emewerem, described ritual-linked trafficking arsenic 1 of Africa’s astir analyzable quality rights challenges.

“In Nigeria and crossed West Africa, victims are trapped successful cycles of fearfulness and superstition disguised arsenic culture,” she said. “Ritual maltreatment is not theoretical — it is simply a lived world for countless victims.”

She cited NAPTIP information showing implicit 150 ritual killings successful Nigeria wrong six months, ...