By Denen Achussah
For 34 children rescued from the grip of human traffickers, the journey from exploitation to recovery has taken a decisive turn.
After being exposed to prostitution, forced labour and, in some cases, the terrifying threat of ritual abuse, the children are now being given something trafficking had taken away from them: A chance to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope.
The intervention, spearheaded by the Ngô u Tiv, HRM Prof. Felicia Hembadoon Ayatse, through her Kende Avese Foundation, saw the 34 survivors trained in baking, cooking and the preparation of traditional and modern foods.
More importantly, the children were not merely trained. They were equipped with machinery to enable them to turn their skills into livelihoods, a crucial step in ensuring that rescue does not end with their return home, only for poverty and vulnerability to push them back into the hands of traffickers.
The beneficiaries were formally presented to their parents and guardians at the palace of the Tor Tiv in Gboko, in an event that brought into sharp focus the often-overlooked question of what happens after a victim has been rescued.
For the Ngô u Tiv, rehabilitation must go beyond rescuing children from traffickers.
She described as traumatic the accounts of the children who had endured abuse in strange places, lamenting that some were subjected to prostitution and hard labour, while others were allegedly exploited for ritual purposes.
“As a mother myself, I feel traumatised when I listen to the horrible experiences of these little children,” she said, describing the situation as “a great humiliation and disaster to our nation.”
The Ngô u Tiv warned parents against becoming unwitting accomplices in trafficking by sending their children away in search of money without properly investigating where they are going and who they will be living with.
According to her, traffickers often disguise themselves as “uncles” and “aunties,” promising children jobs in distant towns or foreign countries, despite lacking the credentials or opportunities to secure legitimate employment for them.
She urged parents and children to stop trusting such promises and called for collective action to restore the dignity and safety of Tiv children.
“I am determined to continue to fight for the survival of these little children despite the challenges confronting us in the course of alleviating their plight,” she vowed.
The real battle begins after rescue
The intervention comes against the backdrop of growing concern over human trafficking, forced labour and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Benue State.
While agencies and civil society organisations have intensified campaigns against trafficking, the experience of the 34 children highlights a difficult reality: Rescue is only the beginning. This is why the efforts of the Ngô u Tiv and other institutions like NAPTIP, Lawyers Alert, and the EU-funded International IDEA for the dignity of the survivors are commendable.
A trafficked child who returns home without skills, economic support, psychological care and a safe family environment remains vulnerable to exploitation.
That is why the empowerment component of the Kende Avese Foundation’s intervention could prove critical.
According to the foundation’s Programme Manager, Mr Austin Abugh, 34 children had been trained, empowered and graduated, while others were being prepared for similar programmes.
The intervention, therefore, seeks to move the survivors from victims to survivors, and from survivors to economically productive citizens.
“What she has done will remain in our memories”
For the children themselves, however, the significance of the intervention appears to extend beyond the machines and vocational skills they received.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Lady Hope (name has been changed) said the experience had transformed their outlook and taught them lessons that would help them become useful members of Tiv society.
She expressed regret over falling victim to trafficking and vowed never to allow herself to be trapped in such circumstances again.
But her most emotional reflection was on the care the children received during their rehabilitation.
She said the love and attention they experienced at the palace would remain permanently etched in their memories, describing the experience as something that, in her words, could hardly be matched by what they had received from their biological parents.
Her testimony offered perhaps the clearest reminder that trafficking does not only steal a child’s labour; it can fracture family bonds, destroy trust and leave wounds that are invisible long after the child has been rescued.
Palace, NAPTIP, police deepen partnership
The Ngô u Tiv commended the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigeria Police and transport companies, particularly Benue Links (Nig.) Ltd. and Flight Transport, for their support in rescuing and assisting victims.
She urged them to remain committed until trafficking is eradicated.
The Benue State representative of NAPTIP, Iorhemen Jennifer, assured the Ngô u Tiv of the agency’s continued partnership with the palace, particularly in intensifying efforts to protect children and bring perpetrators of trafficking to justice.
But perhaps the most important message from the palace was that bringing a trafficked child home should never be mistaken for bringing that child’s ordeal to an end.
For the 34 beneficiaries, the machines, vocational skills and renewed family connections may represent a new beginning.
The bigger challenge now is to ensure that the society they return to does not fail them a second time.
