Human Trafficking Crisis: Peter Obi Calls For Immediate Action

Human Trafficking Crisis: Peter Obi Calls For Immediate Action

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called for action from governments at all levels in Nigeria to stop human trafficking.

Peter Obi said human trafficking is slavery. He regretted that statistics showed Nigeria is hit hard by cases of human trafficking.

In a statement on Tuesday, in commemoration of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Obi said all stakeholders must join hands to end human trafficking and violence against children and strive to eliminate all forms of violence against and exploitation of women and girls.

“Trafficking in persons remains a global societal issue that must be addressed, with measures devised to combat the menace. The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S. Department of State, classified Nigeria as a Tier 2 country, ranking us among countries whose governments do not fully comply with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to comply with those standards.

“The 2023 Global Slavery Index Report ranks Nigeria 38 out of 160 of the countries with the highest number of slaves which is about 1.6 million. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, 2019-2022 statistics also show that 61 percent of human trafficking in Nigeria happens internally, while 39 percent is generated from cross-border trafficking,” he said.

The former governor of Anambra State called on governments to address challenges of poverty, unemployment and porous borders which he blamed for Nigeria’s human trafficking cases.

He called for investment in education, health, and policies that will address poverty in the country. Obi explained that with a better and quality life, citizens will understand their rights as humans.

“Insecurity in different parts of the nation, high levels of poverty, high rates of unemployment, and porous borders, have been identified as some of the major drivers of human trafficking in Nigeria. The government must, therefore, take more decisive actions against this societal issue by investing in human development through investments in education, health and fighting poverty.

“This will give the people a better quality of life, enable them to understand their rights as humans and give them access to better opportunities in life,” he added.