According to Punch, at least 200
Nigerian girls are trafficked every month to Russia for prôstitution. Nigeria’s
ambassador to Russia, Ambassador Asam Asam, disclosed this in an interview with
the Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Berlin,
Germany.
Investigation has shown that the
crime had declined in Western Europe following strict laws on illegal
migration, and joint efforts by Nigeria and the governments of those countries
to curb the menace.
But the ambassador disclosed that
attention had shifted to Eastern Europe as the new destination for the trade.
He said: “The major consular challenge we face in Moscow is the influx of
trafficked persons from Nigeria.
Not less than 200 girls are
trafficked every month, and we have so many of them exposed to danger. “Some
are thrown out of the window and treated harshly. There must be a way of
stopping these racketeering.
These girls are not tourists,
students or government officials yet they are given visas from the Russian
Embassy in Abuja. “So far we have deported over 240 girls since 2012.
But you will be shocked at the
extent of resistance from the girls. We tell them Russia is not a destination
for prôstitutes yet they still come.”
According to the envoy, the
mission tries to curb the menace by deporting those caught, but the challenges
are enormous. Asam said such intervention would be more effective at the point
of entry.
He said: “The strategy is to stop
them from Nigeria, and fish out those involved in the trade. “For instance, a
well known Russian human trafficker who has been in the trade for about 20
years, was caught in Nigeria.
“The National Agency for the
Prohibition of Traffic in Persons, NAPTIP, was on the verge of releasing her
before I filed a protest from Moscow to the Comptroller General of
Immigration.”
Asam said even the parents of
those trafficked encouraged their children. He added: “I spoke to the mother of
one of the girls and she said her daughter should remain in Moscow and try to
survive the ordeal. This is very sad indeed coming from one’s parent.”
The ambassador tasked the media
on sensitising the public to the dangers of trafficking in Russia. He said:
“This East European nation has become a new destination for them, and believe
me it is a very big crime here.”
Asam, however, said other
Nigerians residing in that country were students and professionals in various
fields of human endeavour.
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