1Titilayo Olamide, Arinde-SimeonSunday Evaristus, ABONYI2023-05-092023-05-0920212786-9776https://uilspace.unilorin.edu.ng/handle/20.500.12484/9902Trafficking in persons has become a perennial problem in the contemporary world and also seems to have affected the sustainable development goals of many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa. This modern-day slavery is now a pandemic and a security threat to human existence. The study examined the overall perception of people in Ilorin metropolis of North Central Nigeria on the extent to which public-police cooperation had contributed to combating this heinous crime. The Procedural Justice Theory initiated by Thibaut and Walker in 1975 was used as the theoretical orientation. Equally the study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design with a structured questionnaire and an in-depth interview Guide using 132 respondents (for questionnaire) and 18 participants (for in-depth interview). Data collected were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test of significance. While In-depth Interview was transcribed and thematically done. Findings of the study reveal that there was a significant relationship between socioeconomic status and perceived view of people in police-public cooperation in combating child trafficking (x2= 16.69, df = 2, p < 0.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between place of residence and perceived view of people on police-public cooperation in combating child trafficking (x2=22.15, df=2, p<0.05). Findings also reveal that educational attainment is a critical factor that provides the impetus for police-public cooperation in the fight against child trafficking in Ilorin (x= 9.25, df = 2, p < 0.05). In addition, corruption and institutional weaknesses in police organization and government were found to have posed a threat to effective police-public cooperation in the war against child trafficking in Ilorin metropolis. The study, therefore, made some recommendations which include the need for synergy among governmental agencies and stakeholders to provide a better quality of life for Nigerian citizens and total overhauling of the Criminal Justice System. Again, security studies should be incorporated into the curriculum of Nigerian primary and secondary schools and become a general study course in all tertiary institutionsenPerceived viewPolicePublic CooperationTraffickingChild TraffickingArticle