As Nigeria confronts a rising wave of human trafficking, the Chairman, House Committee on Public Service, in Abia State House of Assembly (ABHA), Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jnr has called for immediate action to halt the menace.
In a release signed by his Spokesperson, George Egejuru in commemoration of 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons and made available to newsmen today, the lawmaker representing Obingwa-West State Constituency, described it as a national crisis destroying the lives of countless young people and threatening the country’s future.
The former Obingwa Council boss expressed deep concern over the worsening epidemic and its far-reaching consequences, also describing it as a criminal act.
The former Director Enyimba FC, further said that Human trafficking is a betrayal of our people, a theft of our future.
He emphasized that traffickers prey on vulnerable youths with false promises of education, jobs, and better lives abroad, only to trap them in exploitation ranging from forced labour to cybercrime and prostitution among others.
He disclosed that Modern traffickers exploit social media, job portals, and dating apps to lure victims, insisting that responses to the epidemic must be just as modern, coordinated, and relentless, enjoining youths to stay vigilant and informed.
The lawmaker who referenced a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, revealed that African victims accounted for nearly a third of global cross-border trafficking cases in 2022, with Nigeria as a leading source country — a statistic he said should be a wake-up call for all levels of government.
The Uhie-born legislator maintained that human trafficking is damaging Nigeria’s international reputation and discouraging critical foreign investment.
“When the world associates our nation with human trafficking, investors turn away, tourism suffers, and development partnerships wane.
We lose far more than lives — we lose economic opportunities and global trust,” he further highlighted.
To combat the menace, the Abia legislator advocated a multi-pronged approach including strengthening law enforcement and border security, investing heavily in youth empowerment through education and economic opportunities, tightening digital monitoring in partnership with tech companies, and providing comprehensive support services to survivors to aid their recovery and reintegration.
Erondu Jnr who also called for more legislative actions against the menace, and collaboration from government at all levels, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations among others in the fight against the national emergency.
The lawmaker called on the public to support ongoing awareness campaigns against trafficking in persons in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed every July 30, serves as a reminder of the global fight against human trafficking and the urgent need for collective responsibility and action.
