The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has inaugurated the state task force on anti-human trafficking in a bid to proffer home grown solutions to the menace which according to him has bedeviled the society.

Inaugurating the members of the task force at the Government House in Benin City, the state capital, Governor Obaseki bemoaned the stigma of human trafficking now associated with Edo people, urging the committee to do all within its power to redeem the state’s image.

He charged the task force made up of representatives from security agencies, NGOs, NAPTIP MDAS, religious and traditions institutions to come up with modalities on how to domesticate the federal government law on trafficking in the state.

Mr. Obaseki said that the state’s action on trafficking was necessary to compliment the efforts of the federal government to effectively curb the scourge.

The governor issued out the terms of reference of the task force to include a comprehensive action plan to combat human trafficking in persons as well as programs to reintegrate trafficked victims into the society.

“It is a suggestion that a special court is established in the state to persecute perpetrators.

We are losing our young people to this negative trend and we must make human trafficking history in the state.” He said.

He charged the efforts of NATIP and other international organizations involved in curbing the scourge.

The chairman of the task force, Prof Yinka Omorogbe, who is also the Attorney General of the state commended the governor for putting together the team, adding that it was necessary that the scourge is addressed by all facets of the society.

She also assured that the task force members would live up to expectations and meet up with the six weeks period given to them to come up with a working document.