CLEEN Foundation’s Executive Director, Benson Olugbuo said 85% of commercial sex workers in European countries are from Edo State, South South Nigeria.
He spoke in Benin recently on the topic: “Community Awareness: Panacea to Ending Trafficking of Women and Girls”, at a town hall meeting, saying, the commercial sex workers are daily bei g trafficked to Europe.
CLEEN Foundation’s figure of 85% was ahead of that of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) which stood at 60% in 2018.
Mr. Olugbuo pointed out that Orhionmwon, Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas respectively constitute some of the main recruiting centres for traffickers, and the main areas of departure of irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe.
He recalled how Nigerian government has been busy in the last two years evacuating its nationals from Libya and Lebanon after suffering untold abuses in attempt.to find their way to Europe.
He added that the crime of trafficking in persons is clandestine and complex, describing it as modern day slavery and with negative long-term effects on the victims and the society at large, particularly its disproportionate effect on women and girls.
Olugbuo, therefore, called on the traditional institutions, religious bodies and the state government to join its quest to end the scourge of human trafficking in the state, adding that parents shouldn’t allow their wards to be trafficked under any guise.
