The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Human Rights Platform, a Turkish rights group, have raised concern on new human trafficking syndicates operating between Nigeria and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRCN).
NAPTIP in a statement yesterday said human traffickers promise young Nigerians university education and work opportunities in TRCN but end up forcing them into prostitution.
The hotline data of the rights group revealed that Nigerians form 70 per cent of the human trafficking cases from November 2021 to date, and all are victims of sex trafficking.
The group said: “In March 2020, TRNC criminalised human trafficking, but the authorities are reluctant to investigate such cases. There is absolutely no legal framework that protects and assists human trafficking victims and there is no shelter. Hence, victims are often exploited for months with no access to law enforcement. Even in rare cases, they are rescued, they are left with no assistance and protection from the authorities.’’
The platform therefore urged students to ensure they have the financial means to cover all their university fees and living expenses while also advising that anyone who finds themselves in an exploitative situation in the country to reach out to them through their hotline line on +905428620060.
NAPTIP also warned Nigerians who are being approached to travel to Northern Cyprus for university education to exercise extreme caution as most of those offers are from human traffickers who are capitalising on the loose visa procedures to traffic them to that country.
