Human trafficking component of terrorism —NAPTIP DG

THE Director–General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Dame Julie Okah–Donli, has described human trafficking as a component of terrorism and a major threat to national security.

She insisted that human traffickers should be treated as enemies of the state, and human trafficking should be tackled the same way as the current fight against terrorism in some parts of the country.

The NAPTIP boss spoke while delivering a paper titled Mass Exodus of Youths and National Development: A Case of Nigeria –Libya –Europe Migration Trend as part of activities to mark the  16th Ika Ka Mma annual lecture Organised, by the Onu  Ika Socio-cultural organisation, an umbrella organisation for the Ika nationalities of Delta State.

The event was part of the strategic awareness creation plan by the agency in partnership with stakeholders to enlighten people across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria on the dangers of human trafficking, child labour and irregular migration among others, so as to reduce the human casualties that have characterised the  development.

Okah–Donli disclosed that victims of human trafficking were ready tools in the hands of any trafficker who could use them for sundry nefarious purposes including any activities that pose threat to the security of the nation.

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She said: “Nigerian government, over the years and particularly under the current administration, holds a unique philosophy for national security, which is to establish a safe and secure environment’’.

She added that research had proven a strong link between weak migration system and insecurity as migrants sometimes become objects of criminal exploitation.

She identified illegal border crossing, document forgery, abuse of human right, kidnapping, money laundering, drug trafficking, weapon trafficking and violence against persons (VAPs) as offshoots of human trafficking and major components of illicit crime networks that are capable of breaching and sabotaging the positive elements of national security.

On the human trafficking profile of Delta State, the NAPTIP DG told the over 5,000 participants  that  Delta State ranked  third among source states for victims of human trafficking, after Edo and Kano states.

She said, ”as stated earlier,  almost all the states in Nigeria are affected by migration and human trafficking. Oka community is under the jurisdiction of Benin Zonal Command of NAPTIP which covers Edo and Delta States.