The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking
in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) on Tuesday advised young Nigerians to desist from investing in visa lotteries.
The Director-General of anti-trafficking agency and
the founder of NYPF, Dame Julie Okah-Donli and Moses Siloko Siasia
respectively, in separate submissions during a one-day international conference
on illegal migration and trafficking in persons’ conference in Abuja, described
visa lotteries being advertised by some people as scams.
Okah-Donli, who was represented by the Director of (Intelligence)
Public Enlightenment of the agency, Mr. Orakwue Arinze, attributed patronage of
visa lotteries and indulgence of irregular migration to inadequate funding of
the education sector in the country.
According to her, “I want state governors to invest
more in education. Any child who is out of the umbrella of educational
protection can be picked up by anybody. There is no visa lottery anywhere; it
is a scam. Nigerians should stop investing in it.
“Please run away from visa lottery, there is
nothing of such. America visa lottery stopped a long time ago; there is no
Canadian visa lottery, it does not exist. To arrest anyone is not our priority
response, but to educate Nigerians that those things are scams.”
She admonished those craving to go abroad by all
means not to patronise visa lottery advertorials, avoid scams as well as issues
associated with such.
On his own part, Siloko stated that Nigerian youths
should seek more knowledge and involve in professions and jobs that can better
their lives rather than wasting their time on frivolous engagements.
Also speaking at the conference, the European Union
Deputy Head of Delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Young, revealed that about
2,084, representing 10 per cent of the 20, 532 victims of trafficked persons to
Europe between 2015 and 2016 are Nigerians.
Young urged the Nigerian Government to be tough on
human traffic crime and causes of trafficking in the country.
According to him, "Illegal migration and
trafficking remained a major threat that requires a consensus effort to
address."
He said the scourge required an honest, comprehensive
and integrated approach to address.
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