As the economic situation in the country worsens, some Nigerians are now selling their relatives to human traffickers for as low as N30,000 (about $20).
Founder, Cocreate Humanitarian Aid, Dr. Sarah Adeyinka, disclosed this during the Sustainable Reintegration for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (SuReViTH) Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting with government agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in Lagos on Thursday.
Adeyinka lamented the plight of Nigerians trafficked to Italy and other parts of the world.
She revealed that after victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) escape their traffickers, some find help at available governmental or non-governmental shelters, receiving limited support.
She said that available resources, financial or otherwise, for provision of the much-needed long-term care and support for sustainable reintegration of THB victims in Nigeria are limited.
“When I started, I was shocked by the numbers of Nigerians leaving the country through dangerous routes, the numbers being trafficked abroad, the violence they experienced,” she said.
“For a lot of them, there is no hope, they don’t know where to go, and one of the biggest shocks to me was family involvement; seeing the involvement of fathers, mothers, aunties, friends, cousins and uncles. Sometimes we find that the person was only paid N30, 000 and they sell a family member and that was shocking.”
The roundtable focused on how to create a sustainable reintegration of victims of THB in Nigeria, challenges to effective, sustainable reintegration of THB victims, successful collaboration for sustainable reintegration of THB victims would look like and others.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, commended participants for their efforts and pledged government’s commitment towards educating the young Nigerians on the risk of illegal migration.
