UK votes £5m to fight human trafficking Nigeria

THE United Kingdom has earmarked five million pounds to support Nigerian government in fighting human trafficking in the country.

UK Anti Slavery Commissioner, Mr Kevin Hyland, who made this know on Thursday in Abuja, said the United Kingdom would continue to support the effort of the Federal Government to eradicate the modern day slavery and human trafficking.

Hyland who was a guest speaker disclosed this at 2017 anti human trafficking public lecture in Abuja, disclosed that no fewer than 11,000 Nigerian women were trafficked to Italy en-route Libya in 2016.

He said that his office was working for the increment of the fund to £10 million by the UK government.

He explained that most of these women are young girls between the ages of 15 and 17 but their traffickers asked them to register as adults to ease their offenses.

According to him, most of them were being trafficked to engage in sex works which he described as worst of all crimes.

The Commissioner said that many of them faced stiffer abuse in the hand of their traffickers as well as those that patronized them.

“Those who refused to cooperate with their traffickers in the sex business are often tied down in crocodile style and such will be denied of food and water.

“This action is deliberately melted on them to allow them die to serve as deterrent to other victims.”

“From statistics available to us, the victims trafficked to Europe mainly for sex works were mostly Nigerians and most of them are from Edo, Delta, Osun and Anambra states.”

“And Benin City is the hub for human trafficking in Nigeria and many of the victims of this trafficking often contract Sexually Transmitted Diseases like HIV” he said.

He commended that the NAPTIP new Director General, Julie Okah-Donli for her zeal and commitment to change the trend.

According to him, the UK anti crime force was now currently working with NAPTIP to tackle human trafficking in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, reassured Nigerians and international community of the commitment of the Federal Government to end human trafficking in the country.

He said human trafficking as a violation of human rights has unfortunately grown to become a widespread and profitable trans-national organised crime.

He said: “Three million people globally are in situation of forced labour as a result of trafficking, women making up 56 per cent of these victims and 89 per cent of those so exploited are forced to engage in commercial sex.”