Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Nigeria: Human Trafficking - a View From Edo State

by Atika Balal from The Daily Trust (Nigeria)

Besides prostitution, marriage, and forced labour, some of these victims of human trafficking in Nigeria are used for rituals, begging and even for organ transplantation or money laundering. While most trafficking into the commercial sex trade involves young adult women, minors including some children under 16 are also exploited. Recent research from Armenia notes a high demand for girls from the age of 15 in some of the Gulf States (the most common destination countries for those trafficked from Central Asia); where after this age girls are considered adults ... Surprisingly, even the solemn Muslim pilgrimage has been turned to an avenue for trafficking, by some unscrupulous persons. Hussaina Ibrahim and Idris Aminu were both charged for trafficking from Kano to Saudi Arabia, organizing illegal foreign travels and debt bondage. Their victims were promised good jobs in Saudi Arabia, but were later introduced to prostitution.

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