Akpabio Said the Girls Being Trafficked Are From Benin Uni; I Told Him They Are From Uyo Uni-Oshiomole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has challenged an assertion by the Senate President that many girls trafficked abroad were from the University of Benin, insisting that students from other Nigerian institutions, including the University of Uyo, were also among those affected.

Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North Senatorial District and serves as Deputy Director-General of Mobilisation for the Tinubu 2027 campaign, made the clarification during an interview on Arise News Morning Show on Friday, October 30, 2026.

The former Edo State governor explained that the issue came up during a Senate discussion on human trafficking, when the Senate President reportedly associated a significant number of trafficked girls with the University of Benin.

However, Oshiomhole said he disagreed with the claim because he believed it presented an incomplete picture of the problem and could create the impression that the practice was largely connected to Edo State or one particular institution.

He explained that he challenged the assertion during the Senate proceedings, pointing out that young women from other parts of the country and different universities were also affected by human trafficking.

According to him, his intervention was intended to correct what he considered an inaccurate generalisation, stressing that the problem should not be discussed as though it was peculiar to Edo State or the University of Benin.

Oshiomhole maintained that human trafficking is a broader concern that cuts across state boundaries and involves people from different educational and social backgrounds. He said it was important for public discussions, particularly within the National Assembly, to reflect the wider scope of the problem rather than attach it to one institution.

He said: “The Senate President referred to, or he claimed, that a lot of the girls being trafficked were from the University of Benin, and I told him no, they were also students from the University of Uyo.”

The senator’s remarks form part of his argument against the tendency to associate human trafficking exclusively with Edo State. By citing the University of Uyo, he sought to emphasise that the issue extends beyond the state and requires a broader understanding of the people and communities affected.

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