The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, has revealed that more than 25,000 Nigerians are being held in slave and sex camps in Libya.

She made this known while defending the agency’s 2018 budget before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on Tuesday.

According to her, of the figure, about 5,000 of the victims were repatriated within the period.

She said: “A large number of Nigerians have also been returned from other countries in Europe and Africa.
“All these people need to be properly received, profiled and assisted.
“NAPTIP has been working in conjunction with other governmental and non governmental agencies such as National Emergency Management Agency, International Organisation for Migration and others to provide help to these unfortunate Nigerians.”

Okay-Donli lamented that in spite of the evils of human trafficking, not so much attention was focused on the menace.

She said the recent trend which marked the resurgence of slave trade was more alarming and required the attention it deserved.

According to her, the task before the agency is enormous, while budgetary allocations have been comparatively low.

She said: “It is my honour and privilege to raise a cry for help in this hallowed chamber on behalf of the most vulnerable members of the society, especially women and children.
“In recent months, the odious and perverse consequences of human trafficking and irregular migration were forcefully brought to our television screens with gory tales.”

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