By Adadareporters
There is more of internal trafficking than external trafficking in Nigeria, says Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
She stated this on Thursday in Benin during a meeting she held with stakeholders and partners of the agency in Edo.
Eighty-three per cent of trafficking in Nigeria happened within states, within communities, across state lines while only 12 per cent accounts for trans-border trafficking, she said.
In her words, “Simply because the media spotlight on people in Italy and all that, we think we have more of trans-border trafficking.
“No. Internal trafficking is happening before our eyes. Domestic servitude is a crisis in Nigeria, forced labour too.
“Human trafficking is, therefore, a national crisis. Every state is affected, though each state has its own peculiarity.”
She called for more sensitisation on the dangers of human trafficking, adding that there was huge ignorance of the public on issues relating to human trafficking.
According to her, “Gone are the days when we think human trafficking is offline. It’s now online. We have increase in fake jobs advertorials and fake scholarships.
“These are the modern trends human traffickers use in luring their victims, with Dubai, India and Cyprus the trending destinations.”
