LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has raised alarm over the recruitment and trafficking of girls from Mali to Edo State for prostitution and exploitation.
The Edo State Zonal Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr Nduka Nwawene, made the disclosure in Benin City during the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
Nwawene lamented that Mali used to be a destination for so many trafficked victims from the Benin Zone, adding that Malians are now being trafficked to the Edo State capital of Nigeria.
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“We just gathered intelligence that victims are now being trafficked from Mali to Benin City. We are currently investigating. Over 20,000 Nigerians, young girls and boys, particularly girls, are currently stranded in Mali.
“Mali used to be a destination for so many trafficked victims from this command, but the Malians are now coming here.
“We have heard stories of Malian men who are ready to do whatever they can do to meet Nigerian girls, but now the reverse is the case. A victim had once confessed that they earned more money going to Mali,” he said.
The event, which was organized by NAPTIP Edo Command in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other stakeholders, featured road walks through some major roads in Benin.
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The zonal commander further said that in the midst of the escalating trafficking issues, global, national responses, particularly in developing states, appeared to be deteriorating.
“Detection rates fell by 11% in 2020, and convictions plummeted by 27%, illustrating a worldwide slowdown in the criminal justice response to trafficking,” he added.
Nwawenne also urged stakeholders to collaborate more in awareness raising and striving to promote community ownership of anti-human trafficking drives.
The Edo Chairperson of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Ms Ann Ojugo, said that the association would continue to partner with NAPTIP in the fight against trafficking.