The Director of the Human Trafficking Secretariat under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Abena Annobea Asare, has cautioned Ghanaians to remain vigilant against human trafficking, warning that the crime may be happening much closer to home than many people realise.

According to Mrs. Asare, human trafficking is often perceived as a problem that occurs in distant places, when victims could be living within communities and moving among the public without being identified.

She made the remarks at a forum organised by the Ministry to engage communities across the country and educate them on gender-related issues.

Speaking at Osudoku, Mrs. Asare said “many people think human trafficking happens somewhere far away from them, but it is closer than they think”.

She explained that victims could be hidden behind walls or walking on the streets without members of the public knowing that they are being trafficked.

“The victims could be behind walls, they could be walking on the streets and you may not know that they are being trafficked,” she said.

Mrs. Asare noted that traffickers often rely on deception, coercion and fraud to lure their victims.

She warned that some traffickers use attractive job offers and promises of wealth to convince unsuspecting people to travel abroad.

“They use deception, coercion and fraud to lure people into trafficking,” she cautioned.

According to her, some victims are attracted by false promises of lucrative employment abroad, while others are targeted through attractive offers circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

“They put attractive offers on WhatsApp and other social media platforms, promising people good jobs and wealth,” she said.

Mrs. Asare further warned that some Ghanaians are being deceived into travelling through countries such as Togo, Nigeria and Benin, and even as far as Iraq, under the pretext of securing visas or employment.

She said some of these victims eventually find themselves trapped and exploited.

“You are told to travel through another country to get a visa, or you are promised a job, but when you get there, what you were promised is not what you meet,” she said.

The Director also drew attention to cyber exploitation as an emerging form of human trafficking.

She explained that some victims are locked in rooms and forced to engage in online fraud and other forms of exploitation.

“There is also cyber exploitation, where people are locked in rooms and forced to engage in online fraud and other activities,” Mrs. Asare stated.

She urged Ghanaians to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited job offers abroad, particularly those promising exceptionally high salaries.

“Be careful when somebody approaches you with a job offer abroad and promises you a huge salary,” she cautioned.

She also warned against demands for immediate payments for travel documents and visas and advised prospective travellers to be cautious of recruitment agencies that cannot clearly explain the nature of the jobs they are offering.

“If the recruitment agency cannot clearly tell you what the job is about, you need to be very careful,” she said.

Mrs. Asare further advised people to verify recruitment agencies and job offers with the Ministry before making financial commitments or travelling.

She cautioned against offers that require prospective travellers to pass through another country to obtain a visa.

“Before you make any commitment, verify the recruitment agency and the job offer with the Ministry,” she advised.

She also urged Ghanaians not to be deceived by the belief that “the grass is always greener on the other side”.

The Director further cautioned young people against keeping or sharing nude photographs and videos, warning that materials released on the internet can remain accessible indefinitely.

“All of us understand the internet does not forget. Immediately you release a picture, a photo, a video, it’s now a public document,” Mrs. Asare said.

She questioned why people would keep nude images on their phones in the first place, noting that mobile devices can be stolen, damaged or accessed by other people.

“Why would you keep nude pictures on your phone in the first place?” she asked.

Mrs. Asare noted that phones can sometimes be taken to repair shops or accessed by other people, creating the possibility of private materials being copied and circulated.

She warned that such materials could later be used to blackmail victims, including people who eventually rise to prominent positions in society.

“You may become somebody important tomorrow, and somebody may have that picture and use it to blackmail you,” she cautioned.

She stressed that the internet has become a vast business space where individuals can hide behind fake identities and accounts to perpetrate crimes, including trafficking and exploitation.

“The internet is a huge business space, and people can hide behind fake accounts to do all kinds of things,” she said.

Mrs. Asare therefore urged anyone who has already shared nude images or videos and fears that they may be circulating online to seek help immediately.

She advised that such materials should be deleted from personal devices where they are not required for evidentiary purposes.

Meanwhile, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Marian W. A. Kpakpa, has cautioned community leaders against settling cases of child abuse and gender-based violence within homes, palaces, churches or other religious settings.

Dr. Kpakpa said although the government has the responsibility to formulate policies and mechanisms to protect the rights of citizens, individuals and communities also have an important role to play in preventing and reporting abuse.

“Government has a responsibility to formulate policies to protect the rights of citizens, but all of us also have a role to play in preventing and reporting violence,” she said.

She noted that many cases of abuse occur within homes and communities, making public vigilance and timely reporting critical.

“A lot of these abuses happen within our homes and communities, so we cannot leave the responsibility only to government,” Dr. Kpakpa stressed.

She said citizens who witness or become aware of abuse have a constitutional right to report the matter through the appropriate channels.

“If you witness or become aware of abuse within a family, it is your right to report it,” she said.

Dr. Kpakpa specifically cautioned queen mothers and religious leaders against attempting to resolve cases of defilement and child abuse within their palaces, churches or other traditional and religious settings.

“Do not settle cases of defilement and child abuse in your palaces, churches or religious settings,” she cautioned.

She urged community and religious leaders to ensure that such cases are reported to the appropriate authorities so that victims can receive protection and justice.

The Chief Director also called on the media to intensify public education on the rights of children and adults to report abuse and seek justice.

“The media has a very important role to play in educating the public so that every child, every girl, every boy and every adult understands that they have the right to report abuse and seek justice,” she said.

Dr. Kpakpa stressed that protecting children and vulnerable persons from abuse requires collective responsibility from government institutions, communities, traditional leaders, religious bodies, the media and individuals.

“We all have a responsibility to protect our children and to ensure that people who suffer abuse are able to report and receive justice,” she said.

The forum formed part of the Ministry’s efforts to engage communities on gender-related issues and strengthen public awareness of human trafficking, child protection, gender-based violence and the need for timely reporting of abuse.