Reps Move to Strengthen Fight Against Human Trafficking

The House of Representatives Committee on Humanitarian Services has pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s response to human trafficking by improving the repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked Nigerians stranded in Mali and other West African countries.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, made the commitment during a high-level stakeholders’ technical meeting at the National Assembly in Abuja.
She described human trafficking as a grave violation of human rights and stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, development partners and civil society organisations to combat the menace effectively.
Akande-Sadipe noted that survivors require sustainable support, including healthcare, psychosocial services, legal assistance, education, vocational training and economic empowerment, to help them rebuild their lives and prevent re-trafficking.
Presenting the findings of an 11-month fact-finding mission in Mali, the Operation Consultant on Diaspora Issues to the National Council of Child Rights Advocates, Nigeria (NACCRAN), Prince Simeon, alleged widespread trafficking and sexual exploitation of Nigerian girls in Mali, the Benin Republic, Togo, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Prince Simeon also urged the Federal Government to investigate allegations of poor documentation of Nigerian migrants and a lack of transparency in repatriation processes at the Nigerian Embassy in Mali.