Senate is determined to do something about irregular migration, human trafficking - Saraki
- The Senate president has expressed worry over irregular migration and human trafficking, vowing to make moves to end it
- During a roundtable meeting with the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and other stakeholders in Benin, Saraki said Nigeria has lost too many young people
- On his part, Obaseki said the state will continue to fund programmes aimed at protection, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked victims
The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has promised to take more actions towards ending human trafficking and illegal migration across Nigeria.
Saraki made the promise alongside the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, at a Senate roundtable migration and human trafficking in Benin City, on Monday, February 26.
While addressing stakeholders at the roundtable, he lamented the high index of Nigeria's population involved in illegal migration and human trafficking.
The Senate president said: "We are losing sleep over irregular migration and human trafficking; and we are determined, as representatives of the people, to do something about it."
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He said Nigeria has lost too many young people - who have died in the desert and in the sea - on the unpredictable treks who otherwise would have led productive lives in their home country.
"We have seen the bleak images of coffins of 26 Nigerian girls who were laid to rest in Italy last November. This is what brings us today to ancient Benin. The trafficking of young males has overtaken females in this state for the first time, and now stands at 63%.
"Clearly, something is wrong in the way we manage citizens’ security, border security as well as international cooperation and collaboration," he said.
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He noted that the event is designed to help answer some of the niggling questions, to identify the root causes and the various dimensions of the problem, and work out a way forward.
Also speaking, the Edo state governor commended the Senate president for the initiative of holding the session. Obaseki said the state will continue to fund programmes aimed at protection, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked victims.
Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian envoy to China said that many Nigerians were in various prisons in Guangdong Province for overstaying their visas.
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Wale Oloko said about 600 Nigerians arrested for overstaying their visas and in detention for other offences. Read more:
He noted that some other Nigerians were also arrested for engaging in drug trafficking and other criminal offences that had led to their detention.
Ex-prisoner turns advocate for release of former inmates - on Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
