The House of Representatives has called for comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration programmes to support trafficked Nigerians returning from Mali and other West African countries. The demand emerged from a high-level technical meeting on Wednesday, convened by the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, which brought together lawmakers, government agencies, development partners and civil society groups. Committee Chairperson Tolulope Akande-Sadipe stressed that repatriation alone is insufficient without sustained support for survivors. "Bringing our citizens home is only the beginning," she said. "The true measure of our success lies not simply in repatriation, but in the quality and sustainability of the support we provide after survivors return." She described human trafficking as a severe violation of human rights, noting that many Nigerian women, children and youths face forced labour and sexual exploitation abroad.
Akande-Sadipe advocated for safe and dignified repatriation, access to healthcare, psychosocial support, legal aid, education and economic empowerment for survivors. She warned that without proper reintegration, survivors remain at risk of poverty, social exclusion and re-trafficking. During the meeting, the National Council of Child Rights Advocates, Nigeria, presented findings from an 11-month investigation into the Nigerian Embassy in Mali. Its representative, Adefioye Simeon, alleged that embassy officials mishandled rescued victims and lacked transparency in repatriation efforts. He claimed some officials accepted about 200,000 CFA francs per victim from private individuals facilitating returns, with no accountability for how the funds were used. Simeon also alleged that migrants paid between 10,000 and 15,000 CFA francs for identification cards at the embassy, only for the documents to be rejected at border checkpoints. He urged the House committee to investigate the allegations and improve coordination among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NAPTIP, security agencies and civil society organisations.
Tolulope Akande-Sadipe demands survivor-centred care while the embassy she oversees faces allegations of profiting from trafficking victims. Survivors returned to Nigeria under opaque conditions may have already been exploited by officials meant to protect them. The promised rehabilitation rings hollow if those managing repatriation are accused of taking payment from traffickers. Nigerians brought back from Mali could be entering a system where exploitation continues under official cover.
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