By Umar Yusuf
YOLA— Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (II), Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, has identified border porosity, illiteracy, poverty, greed and insatiable zeal to get rich among the youths as factors responsible for the increasing rate of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Mohammed told participants at a sensitisation workshop in Yola, yesterday, that most times, those behind the heinous crime were facilitated by unscrupulous security officers, who provide cover and fake documents to ensure easy passage of victims at border checkpoints.

The consequences of the crime, which is said to worth millions of dollars, the minister noted, were inimical to both national development and sub-regional integration efforts.

He stated that it was in realisation of this that the heads of state and governments of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, endorsed a plan of action against trafficking in persons.

According to the minister, the plan provided policy and administrative guidelines to enable member states articulate and implement a robust national legislation against trafficking in persons.

He further emphasised the need to build the capacity of the law enforcement agencies, ensure security and judicial reform, encourage an extensive enlightenment programmes at the grassroots and promote international co-operation, among others.

The minister reiterated that Nigeria had remained committed to the implementation of the sub-regional initiatives, even as the country had ratified the United Nations Protocol on Human Trafficking.

Mohammed maintained that to further demonstrate Nigeria’s commitment to the implementation of the sub-regional initiatives, the country also enacted anti-human trafficking law; established a functional institution, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters, NAPTIP; sustained enlightenment campaigns and improved law enforcement.