Human Trafficking in Akwa-Ibom State Nigeria: Implications for Counselling and Rehabilitation of Victims

This study investigated the practice of human trafficking and its implications for counselling and rehabilitation ofvictims inAkwa Ibom State. The sample consisted of fifty victims of human trafficking inAkwa Ibom State. To accomplish this research objective, three research questions were formulated. The research adopted an expost facto research design and the instrument for data collection was a 30 item questionnaire titled, “Human Trafficking Practice Questionnaire (HTPQ) ”. Descriptive statistics of frequency scores and percentage counts were used to analyse the data. The findings of this study showed that extended family culture, unemployment, and educational background influence an individual's vulnerability to human trafficking. Based on the findings, it was recommended that parents should endeavour to provide for the physical and emotional needs of their children. Also professional counsellors should be employed by government in National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) to take care of the rehabilitation of human trafficked victims and implement employment strategies that could take care of the unemployed individuals in the society.