Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), on Monday, said that its records indicated that 150 billion dollars was being generated annually across the world through the activities of organised criminal network of human traffickers.
The reason, according to the agency, was because human trafficking has been confirmed as a business that has little or no risk but enjoys huge profit.
NAPTIP Director General, Julie Okah-Donli, who spoke at a press conference, in Abuja, registered her frustration that some developed countries have not helped matters in the fight against human trafficking because they legalise prostitution.
She said those countries where prostitution is legalised have turned out to be the major destination for human traffickers.
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Her words, “I have used every opportunity I had to speak at global fora, to canvass for an end to the legalisation of prostitution. But it had been difficult to convince countries that legalized prostitution because they pay huge tax to the government.
“In addition to that, many of the customers are totally unaware that they are dealing with trafficked persons. They believe they have paid for the services and are entitled to use them as it pleases.”
However, the NAPTIP boss appreciated her predecessors for laying strong foundation that has helped the agency in the success recorded in the last 15 years of establishment particularly in the fight against human trafficking.
She disclosed that 359 convictions have been secured in the last 15 years and 43 in the last one year of her stay in office.
Meanwhile, the agency has launched a mobile application, which it believed, would help Nigerians report suspected cases of human trafficking for easy arrest and prosecution.