As 138 Nigerian people return from Libya, the government has seized the opportunity to discourage human trafficking by sounding a note of warning to parents.
Some of the repartriated Nigerians
The Federal Government has warned parents against trafficking or aiding their children to migrate to other countries, illegally.
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Mustapha Maihajja, made this known in Lagos on Thursday while receiving about 138 Nigerians (deported) returned from Libya.
Maihajja, who was represented by the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Suleiman Yakubu, at the event, said that the activities of the traffickers and their conspirators were becoming too embarrassing for the country.
He said, “Parents and relatives of some of these deportees have been discovered to be fully involved in aiding their wards on these illegal and deadly journeys.
“Trafficking is worse than corruption as those involved are misleading and denying young victims of brighter and promising future in the country.
“Many parents and relations sold their properties to send these young ones to seek the so-called greener pasture that doesn’t exist because of their greed.”
A total of 138 returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, aboard an Airbus A320 aircraft with Flight number BRQ 189/190.
The 106 female adults, three female children and eight male adults, 18 male children and three male infants arrived at about 6:10 p.m.
Maihajja said about 2, 232 people had been brought back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration since March, 2016, adding that NEMA and other stakeholders had been organising rehabilitation and reintegration programme to help them back into the society.
He added that the Federal Government had convicted about 325 traffickers so far while several other cases at various levels were ongoing in different parts of the country.
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