In a bid to stem the propensity of young Nigerians getting embroiled in the illicit drug trade, the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Fulvio Rustico, has urged Nigerian youths to be conscious of the negative consequences of allowing themselves to be lured into drug trafficking.
Rustico made this known on Monday in Lagos and said the Nigerian and Italian governments were working hard to discourage and resist all forms of trafficking between their two countries.
The Envoy said that it was also imperative for Italians and Nigerians to join both governments in fighting against trafficking of girls and women.
“As we all know, fighting against trafficking in persons is very complicated, but,i think that the Nigerian and Italian governments are willing to do more to end these inhumane acts.
“And it is always the young innocent girls who allow themselves to be trafficked knowingly or unknowingly that are made to suffer from these criminal acts.
“These young Nigerian girls should know that allowing themselves to be trafficked would not lead them to paradise, but regrettable experiences.
“I think it should be a common interest for us all to work together and save these young girls from these terrible experiences,’’ he said.
According to him, every Nigerians and Italians need to urgently brace up to fighting against trafficking of girls and other related offences.
Rustico, who restated both governments’ commitment to fighting trafficking, also disclosed the readiness of government institutions to cooperate in ending the criminal acts and said there were ongoing different areas of cooperation between Italian institutions in fighting and ending trafficking in persons from Nigeria to Italy adding that Nigeria needed to intensify awareness creation in these young girls, on the dangers in allowing themselves to be trafficked to Italy or other countries.