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Human trafficking, particularly involving young girls from Benue State, continues to generate serious concern as anti-trafficking activists report intercepting another group of minors attempting to leave the state.
According to a post by activist Zege’Orkwande Sughnen Yaaya, nine Benue girls described as minors were intercepted between 6am and 2pm on Wednesday while trying to move out of the country. He noted that 11 girls were recorded in total that day, highlighting the frequency of such incidents.
The activist raised alarm over the alarming trend, questioning the factors pushing young girls out of the state and pointing to the apparent lack of strong parental oversight. He directly called on the Benue State Government to take decisive action against human trafficking networks operating within the state.
Yaaya and other concerned citizens, including Daniel Gbenda, have been vocal about the dual crises facing the state — insecurity from herders and the internal and external trafficking of minors, some as young as 13 to 16 years old, for sexual exploitation and other related offenses.
In a related appeal, the activists urged the government to sponsor widespread awareness campaigns in churches, schools, markets, and other public gatherings to sensitize citizens on the tactics, effects, and consequences of human trafficking. They stressed that traffickers should not be negotiated with, as this could encourage others, and called for community vigilance and prompt reporting of suspected cases to law enforcement agencies or designated activists like Zege’Orkwande Sughnen Yaaya and Ukan Kurugh.
The posts reflect growing frustration among residents over the scale of the problem and the perceived silence or slow response from authorities. Activists are appealing to parents, community leaders, and the government to prioritize the protection of young people and intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking networks.
This development adds to recent reports of intercepted trafficking attempts in Benue, underscoring the urgent need for sustained collaboration between security agencies, NAPTIP, and local vigilantes to curb the menace.
