The Senator, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Biodun Olujimi has expressed full support for the national effort towards tackling trafficking in people particularly women and children and address its root causes in Nigeria.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons which is marked on July 30 every year, Senator Olujimi said Nigerian youths are still trooping to foreign land to seek green pasture and white-collar jobs.
“Our youths especially females, are still being lured by false and unrealistic promises to make the dangerous journey to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East where they are subjected to gender-based violence and other forms of inhumane treatment” She noted.
According to her, many unemployed youths leave Nigeria and risk their lives to seek work in these countries and later end up in exploitative and slavery situations, stressing that Nigeria is listed as one of the countries with the largest number of trafficking victims especially to Europe through Libya and the Mediterranean with many young ones especially women have been identified in over thirty countries in one official Report and others lose their lives during the crossing of the sea.
The senator said that deepening awareness within communities including remote villages where millions of the vulnerable reside would also go a long way to curtail the unscrupulous activities of the traffickers.
Olujimi said opening up of more opportunities for employment and entrepreneurships would address the misery of poverty felt in many of the families whose children risk the dangerous journeys and end up in the hands of traffickers.
“I believe that through education and training programmes in relevant skills-including offering non-traditional training opportunities to female victims, will offer hope and conviction to our youth to stay in their homes”.
Packaged By Emmanuel Adeniran
