•Lagos Commissioner pledges support, laments overflow of centres

Cocreate Humanitarian Aid, yesterday, lamented the plight of Nigerians trafficked to Italy and other parts of the world. It said families are giving out their brood for as low as N30,000, equivalent to $20.

The humanitarian body revealed this during the Sustainable Reintegration for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (SuReViTH) Stakeholders Roundtable Meeting with government bodies, Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and others at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. It revealed that after victims of Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) escape their traffickers, some find help at available governmental or non-governmental shelters, receiving limited support, while others do not.

It said that available resources, financial or otherwise, for provision of the much-needed long-term care and support for sustainable reintegration of THB victims in Nigeria are limited.

The Guardian learnt that the goal of yesterday’s meeting that has over a dozen of NGOs was to investigate what sustainable reintegration for victims of THB in Nigeria looks like, have a better understanding of how this may reduce the risks of re-exploitation, understand who the key players and partners are, and learn from the THB victims themselves about what they believe would lead to a successful reintegration for them and their peers.

It was also to better understand the dimensions of effective, sustainable and successful reintegration of THB victims in Nigeria, recognising the untapped potential to learn from the experience of other experts working on tackling THB in Nigeria and THB of Nigerians overseas.

The round table discussed how to create a sustainable reintegration of victims of THB in Nigeria, challenges to effective, sustainable reintegration of THB victims, successful collaboration for sustainable reintegration of THB victims would look like and others. Speaking with

The Guardian, Founder, Cocreate Humanitarian Aid, Dr. Sarah Adeyinka, said: “When I started, I was shocked by the numbers of Nigerians leaving the country through dangerous routes, the numbers being trafficked abroad, the violence they experienced.

“For a lot of them, there is no hope, they don’t know where to go, and one of the biggest shocks to me was family involvement; seeing the involvement of fathers, mothers, aunties, friends, cousins and uncles. Sometimes we find that the person was only paid N30, 000 and they sell a family member and that was shocking.”

Speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, said: “This was a robust stakeholders meeting, and I am happy we were able to share information and knowledge to be able to do things better. It shows there is a lot to be done. (The Guardian)

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