By Victor Ahiuma-Young

OWA—Delta North Traditional Rulers and Chiefs in Delta Statehave expressed concern over the trafficking and slavery of Nigerian youths in Libya.

Rising from a one-day meeting of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs at the palace of the Obi of Owa, Dr. Emmanuel Efeizonor II, the royal fathers resolved to sensitize parents and youths on the dangers inherent in travelling abroad through illegal routes in the North African countries.

The sensitization campaign will cover all the communities in Delta North, as they lamented the rate at which youths were being harassed and subjected to inhuman treatment, noting that same  was becoming alarming and deserved to be condemned by the International community.

In a communiqué, the royal fathers tasked the leadership of the various communities to set up vigilante groups with the approval of the Traditional Rulers in order to augment the efforts of security agencies in checking the menace of Fulani herdsmen.

While asking security agencies and the police in particular to rise up to the challenge of curbing armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state, the Royal fathers stressed the need for community based security agents to synergize with the police to stem the ugly development.

They also cautioned against the formation of illegal security outfits under the guise of vigilante groups insisting that vigilante groups should get the approval of Traditional Rulers and security agencies even as they decried the negative effects of cultism in schools and society at large and pledged their  co-operation with other stakeholders to stamp out cultism in its entirety.

The royal fathers called for greater unity, understanding and corporation among the Traditional Rulers in the district, saying that they should always stand together and speak with one voice on issues of common interest to the socio-economic and infrastructural development of Delta North and wellbeing of the people.

They pledged their unalloyed support and total corporation to the state government and charged residents of the district especially mothers and children 0-5 years to come out massively to participate in the second round of maternal and child Health Care Week Programme due to commence on Friday.