每日大赛入口

On Thursday, October 23, 2025, the at 每日大赛入口, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, hosted the inaugural 2025 Colloquium Against Human Trafficking at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria. Themed 鈥淎 United Front Against Ritual Abuse and Sacrifice,鈥� the event brought together leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from 15 countries鈥攊ncluding attorneys general, supreme court justices, prosecutors, nongovernmental organizations, religious and cultural leaders鈥攖o confront ritual abuse and sacrifice in Africa.

More than 260 participants attended the two-day event to discuss the rise in ritual abuse and killings, human trafficking networks, and other exploitative practices across Nigeria and the African continent. Attendees engaged in sessions and solution sprints aimed at forging partnerships, ensuring justice for survivors, and developing sustainable strategies to strengthen the continent's unified response to ritual abuse and human sacrifice. The discussions underscored that women, children, and those with disabilities are especially vulnerable to these acts of violence, emphasizing the urgent need to confront the cultural and spiritual manipulation often employed by perpetrators.

Colloquium Against Human Trafficking panel

鈥淣o matter what our background is, we all would agree that this act of ritual abuse and sacrifice is evil,鈥� said Cameron McCollum, executive director of 每日大赛入口鈥檚 Sudreau Global Justice Institute, in a press release. 鈥淚 believe that [this colloquium] will be part of shifting the conversation and starting a Pan-African dialogue that will lead to the end of this practice once and for all.鈥�

Barr. 'Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, secretary to the state government, delivered the speech on behalf of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State鈥攖he most populous of Nigeria's 36 states. Sanwo-Olu stressed that ending ritual killings requires collective action. He commended the colloquium鈥檚 efforts, highlighting that initiatives like this play a vital role in giving survivors a voice and advancing the pursuit of justice.

鈥淲e must be forged together across borders, across institutions, across communities, because this evil knows no boundaries. The words 鈥榓 united front鈥� underscore the critical need for collaboration across governments, nongovernmental organizations, law enforcement agencies, faith-based organizations, and local communities,鈥� said Sanwo-Olu. 鈥淟et this colloquium mark the day we move from words to work. Together, as one united front, we will protect our people, punish the perpetrators, and restore dignity, honor, and a renewed hope to the victims and survivors.鈥�

Lawal Pedro, Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, also called for a united African response to these violent acts, noting that the gathering confronted a painful truth about the realities faced by too many communities. Pedro observed that such acts of violence are too often dismissed as cultural customs and go underreported due to fear, stigma, and limited access to support and resources.

Audience members at the colloquium

鈥淸Silence] has not protected the vulnerable, silence only protects the oppressors. That is why we are gathered here to break that silence with truth, collaboration, and action,鈥� stated Pedro. 鈥淭his colloquium brings together leaders from across Africa to share intelligence, strengthen survivor-centered justice, and build a model continental framework against ritual abuse and trafficking.鈥�

As part of broader efforts to combat human trafficking and ritual-related crimes, Pedro reported that between 2023 and 2024, Lagos State, with support from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, intercepted and aided 4,753 victims of human trafficking鈥攗nderscoring the state鈥檚 commitment to ending these heinous crimes through enforcement, protection, and coordination. In collaboration with relevant agencies and organizations, the Lagos State Task Force Against Human Trafficking has provided victims鈥� including minors and persons with disabilities鈥攚ith counseling, psychological support, and rehabilitation services.

Additional efforts include expanded shelters for rescued victims, increased training of local government representatives as community anti-trafficking advocates, and the launch of statewide awareness campaigns that have successfully reached more than five million residents. The state also recently enacted the 2024 Lagos State Organ Harvesting Prohibition Law, which criminalizes organ trafficking (a criminal practice often closely linked to ritual practice)and imposes harsher penalties on offenders, including medical professionals and criminal syndicates. Pedro further noted that human trafficking has become one of the world鈥檚 most profitable transnational crimes, generating an estimated $236 billion annually in illegal profits to organized criminal networks. 

鈥淸Evil] will continue to thrive where nations fail to collaborate,鈥� explained Pedro. 鈥淎frica must rise, not in rhetoric but in responsibility."

Learn more about the Sudreau Global Justice Institute and its impactful work across the globe on the .