Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has signed into law the Edo State Trafficking in Persons Prohibition bill, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

Obaseki expressed confidence that institutional support for regular migration would go a long way in reducing human trafficking.

He said Edo State was no longer living in denial because available records revealed that Nigeria accounted for over 60 per cent of illegal migration to Europe.

He said, “We have a big problem in the country and in Edo state, in particular, we have a major challenge with illegal migration and human trafficking and as a government, we a beginning to deal with that challenge.

“In dealing with the challenge of illegal migration and human trafficking, we have come to understand that our country Nigeria accounts for 60 per cent of illegal migrants into Europe.

“In the case of our state, we are not only the source, we are also a transit (route) and the available data suggest that we have about 60 per cent of the returnees till date.”

The governor said his administration was working with local and international partners to deal with the problem from its root cause.

Obaseki noted that so far, according to estimates from international partners, about 3,371 persons had returned while “we are expecting 6,000 to 7,000 others this year.”

Also speaking at the event, the Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria, Mr. Ketil Karsen, urged Nigerian authorities to show greater commitment to the cause of eliminating the scourge of illegal migration.

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