Atika Balal
19 November 2007
Berlin — Annually, some 800,000 persons, made up mainly of women and children, are trafficked across national borders.
Recently, Edo state hosted journalists and experts for a two day anti human trafficking workshop organised by the National agency for the prohibition of traffic in persons (NAPTIP), where the role the media could play in combating trafficking in persons was discussed.
This city was possibly chosen as the venue for this workshop, because Edo state has been labelled as the most endemic state known for human trafficking.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. Annually, about 600,000 to 800,000 people mostly women and children are trafficked across national borders, which does not count millions trafficked within their own countries.
In a few cases, physical force is used, and in other cases, false promises are made regarding job opportunities or marriages in foreign countries to entrap victims.
In general terms, human trafficking is a multi-dimensional threat which deprives people of their rights and freedom. Not only is it a global health risk, it also fuels the growth of organized crime.
Human trafficking I must say has a devastating impact on individual victims, who often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, and even death. The impact of human trafficking however goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches.
The phenomenon of human trafficking in Nigeria has become multi dimensional and multi faceted to the extent that anybody could fall a victim and no one is safe. Besides prostitution, marriage, and forced labour, some of these victims are used for rituals, begging and even for organ transplantation or money laundering. While most trafficking into the commercial sex trade involves young adult women, minors including some children under 16 are also exploited. For example, recent research from Armenia notes a high demand for girls from the age of 15 in some of the Gulf States (the most common destination countries for those trafficked from Central Asia); where after this age girls are considered adults. The majority of customers for child sex in every country are local men, but the presence of foreign tourists, businessmen, and even peacekeeping forces has been cited as a contributory factor.
Surprisingly, even the solemn Muslim pilgrimage has been turned to an avenue for trafficking, by some unscrupulous persons. Hussaina Ibrahim and Idris Aminu were both charged for trafficking from Kano to Saudi Arabia, organizing illegal foreign travels and debt bondage. Their victims were promised good jobs in Saudi Arabia, but were later introduced to prostitution. Hussaina was sentenced to three years while Idris who worked with a traveling agency was sentenced to two years for being an aid to a trafficker.
Nigeria isn't the only country haunted with problems of human trafficking, neither are the effects of such acts suffered by Nigerians alone. Statistics show that every year, out of one to two million trafficked victims who are mostly women and children, but increasingly men and boys as well, a great percentage is taken to Italy while the few others are taken to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Macedonia and India. The most shocking revelation however is that over 40 percent of these victims are under the age of consent.
In Nigeria today, particularly Edo state, human trafficking has become the order of the day it has become an organised crime which has Lawyers, herbalists, corrupt Immigration and police officers all involved in the process.
Sometimes you realise that these traffickers are well connected in embassies in various countries, and could get their victims into trouble, if along the way they refuse to cooperate.
While lots of people blame poverty or culture as a basis for human trafficking in Nigeria, NAPTIP says other causes of the outrageous rate of human trafficking in the country are ignorance, desperation, and the promotion and commercialization of sex by the European Union (EU).
Speaking on the first day of the workshop, the director investigation and monitoring (NAPTIP) Alh. Muhammad Babandede, said that various factors influence child trafficking in Nigeria and the West African Sub-region but the singular and most important excuse and contributory feature however, include poverty and desperation.
According to him, in all countries concerned a large proportion of the population live below the poverty line. However, poverty alone does not explain the prevalence of child trafficking in Nigeria. Most people heavily involved in human trafficking do not necessarily have the most social indicator for poverty, nor possess the worst cases of poverty.
Thus, it is right to say that inadequate educational opportunity, lack of vocational and economic opportunities for the youth in rural areas, institutional lapses, greed and peer group influence among other things amount to desperation and are contributory factors.
Alhaji Babandede added that most victims of human trafficking are lured into believing that a greener pasture awaits them where they will be taken to. Ignorant as most of them are, they eagerly jump to the offer without confiding in anyone. This according to him can be avoided through sensitisation and enlightenment workshops.
"Traffickers prey on the ignorance, self worth and vulnerability of victims. They often promise their victims employment as hair dressers or sales girls, while others are told great jobs in offices and exquisite accommodation, await them on arrival.
A typical and natural counterweight to this is information and education resource. The special role of the media in education, information, and mobilization of the citizenry for development, strategically places them as a strong ally of the Agency."
The first trafficker who was jailed is 51 year old lady. She had procured some girls from Uromi in Edo state with a promise of securing jobs for them in Spain. She took them to Spain and introduced them into prostitution. However she was caught and sentenced to a 36 months jail term which she has served.
These days human trafficking in Nigeria has become an organised crime, Lawyers, herbalists, bankers, corrupt Immigration and police officers are all involved in the process.
"Trafficking in persons is often aided by official corruption in countries of origin, transit and destination, thereby threatening the rule of law; It is unfortunate that law enforcement agents in whom the populace place their trust do not make things easier. Sometimes, law enforcement officers become part of the syndicate."
A few years ago in Bosnia, Human Rights Watch found evidences of visa and immigration officials visiting brothels for free sexual services, in exchange for ignoring the doctored documents produced by traffickers to facilitate transport through the country. While some law enforcement agencies are major participants in the act of human trafficking, a great number of others aren't. In December 2003 for example, NAPTIP in conjunction with the Nigerian Immigration Service and UNICEF Nigeria repatriated a total number of 169 children who were engaged in exploitative activities in Nigeria back to the Republic of Benin.
On the 9th of March, 2005 police in Lagos stopped a refrigerated truck containing 64 children. The children were from Edati Local Government in Niger, Ebonyi, Edo States and Edu Local Govt. in Kwara State. They were apparently being taken to Lagos to work as house helps. Through the collaborative efforts of stake holders such as UNICEF, the French Embassy, Local NGO's and the government of the two affected states, NAPTIP successfully rehabilitated the children and reunited them with their families. The children were trained in vocational skills along with their parents while some others were enrolled in schools.
From its inception up till March 31st 2007, nine hundred and sixty-two (962) victims have passed through the Agency. One hundred and eighteen (118) of them have been rehabilitated, while five hundred and thirty-nine (539) victims are awaiting rehabilitation. Seven hundred and ten (710) of them are female victims and two hundred and fifty-two (252) of them are male victims. The age range of the 55% of the victims is between eighteen to twenty-eight years, 35% of them are between 1 day and seventeen years. The remaining 10% of them are above the age of twenty-eight years.
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