Lagos — Assistant Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Dr. Abiodun Popoola, says trafficking in persons is modern day slavery which endangers the future of our country, adding that it is a social menace that needs collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to eliminate.

He said that human trafficking takes second place to drug trafficking in terms of the revenue accruing to the illegal dealers worldwide.

"Trafficking in persons is a social menace that needs collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to eliminate. It is modern day slavery and it endangers the future of our country, Nigeria," he said.

Speaking on the occasion of a workshop on human trafficking convened by Nigeria Immigration Service, Cross River State Command and the Calabar Municipal Government, Dr. Popoola said,

"Trafficking in persons, which has received global attention in recent times, is rated the second largest illegal and organised crime in the world after drugs in terms of revenue earnings."

He noted that in Nigeria, "it has its victims among foreigners and Nigerians alike. They are usually transported by road, by sea and by air using several disguises, via Gabon, Cameroun and other neighbouring countries to undertake inhuman jobs under degrading conditions.

As a Service we shall continue in our efforts to reduce, if not totally eliminate, the incidence of human trafficking in Cross River State and Calabar Municipality in particular."

The Asst. Comptroller General observed that "the incidence of child labour and human trafficking are here with us. No nook and cranny of our communities, urban and rural alike do we not find this ugly situation of child labour and human trafficking, hence any effort made towards eliminating the menace is quite welcome."

He observed that trafficking in persons is classified into two:internal and external. Internal trafficking, according to him, is committed within the country, while external is committed across international boundaries.

Cross River State is a partaker in both internal and external trafficking, he said.

According to the National Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2003 Section 30, trafficking in persons is defined as "all acts and attempted acts involved in the recruitment, transportation within or across the Nigerian Border for sale, purchase, transfer, deceit, coercion or debt bondage for the purpose of placing or holding the person whether for involuntary servitude in force bonded labour or in slavery-like conditions."