Dabiri-Erewa Raises Alarm Over Travel Agents’ Role in Human Trafficking
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has expressed serious concern over the involvement of some travel agents in facilitating human trafficking, warning that the trend is putting vulnerable Nigerians at risk abroad.
Speaking at an industry gathering in Ibadan, she highlighted how unsuspecting victims, particularly young women, are being moved out of the country with travel arrangements handled by agents who fail to question suspicious circumstances.
Dabiri-Erewa cited troubling cases involving stranded Nigerians overseas, including situations where victims were abandoned and forced to seek refuge at Nigerian missions. She stressed that such incidents reflect a deeper failure within the travel ecosystem.
She questioned the lack of due diligence by some agents, pointing out scenarios where underage or visibly distressed individuals are allowed to travel without proper scrutiny. According to her, issuing tickets without verifying intent or travel legitimacy contributes directly to trafficking networks
The NiDCOM boss also recalled instances where suspected victims managed to leave the country despite attempts to intervene, describing it as a major gap in enforcement and accountability.
She warned that if left unchecked, the actions of a few unethical operators could tarnish the reputation of legitimate travel professionals. Dabiri-Erewa urged industry players to identify and report suspicious activities, emphasizing that silence only enables criminal operations.
Highlighting the human cost, she referenced cases in the Middle East where trafficked Nigerians faced exploitation and, in extreme situations, death under unclear circumstances.
Dabiri-Erewa maintained that travel agents must go beyond ticket sales and take responsibility for safeguarding lives by verifying travel details and flagging irregular patterns.
She called for stronger collaboration between NiDCOM and travel operators, including better data sharing and reporting systems, insisting that combating trafficking requires a collective and proactive approach.
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