Checking human trafficking in Nigeria.
No matter whatever form it comes, human trafficking by all accounts is one of the heinous crimes of the twent-first Century, as it is liken to a modern form of slave trade.
Human rights activists, among other observers, maintain that human trafficking has become a global menace, particularly within the last decade, forcing many countries, including Nigeria, to initiate measures to combat it.
Human beings, the articles of the illicit trade, are trafficked within countries or to overseas countries for the purposes of cheap labour or as sex slaves.
Over the years, human trafficking has grown into a frightening proportions across the world, as no country or region of the world is spared from the menace.
However, it must be noted that like other global challenges, the world is tackling the menace of human trafficking headlong and with all the seriousness.
In Nigeria, for instance, the fight against human trafficking got to an appreciable level since the country became signatory to the Transnational Organised Crime Convention and Trafficking in Persons Protocol in December twenty hundred.
To coordinate the country’s anti-human trafficking efforts, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters was established in twenty zero three via the Trafficking in Persons "Prohibition" Law Enforcement and Administration Act twenty zero three.
Since its establishment, the Agency has been making efforts to stamp out the menace from the country and its efforts have been widely acclaimed as purposeful, resourceful and successful by observers within and outside the country.
The feats achieved by Nigeria in the war against human trafficking invariably compelled the United States government to upgrade Nigeria from a Tier two status to a Tier one status in its last year Annual Report on Global Human Trafficking.
The Agency's Executive Secretary, Simon Egede says Nigeria is proud of the achievement, stressing that the Agency had been able to secure more than seventy convictions of human traffickers within the seven years of its existence.
He also says more than three thousand victims of human trafficking have been rescued and rehabilitated by the agency.
With this achievement, the Agency deserves commendation, since it is believed that a country bedevilled by human and child trafficking is a dead nation because the country will be affected by the myriad consequences, ranging from economic to socio-cultural and diplomatic problems.
However, the war against human trafficking is far from over, as in March this year, an eighteen-year-old girl, Happiness Ogechi Uche, was rescued by the Agency from a camp in faraway Mali.
The Agency says the girl was enticed to embark on the trip to Mali with promises of securing a good job, adding that she unfortunately ended up in the North African country as a sex slave.
However, the campaign against human trafficking has been a collaborative effort involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigeria Police Force.
Moreover, Victims and would-be victims of human trafficking should be warned of the dire consequences of allowing themselves to become articles of the illicit trade with the bait of securing good jobs and some other bogus promises.
Also must be admonished that living in foreign countries could be dangerous as the human traffickers usually abandon their victims in the countries, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Though the rising incidence of human trafficking could be blamed on extreme poverty, but human trafficking could not be justified under any guise whatsoever, however, it may be the search for greener pastures that is pushing young Africans to fall prey to the plot of human traffickers.
However, one of greatest challenges facing the crusade against human trafficking is the refusal of the victims to make useful statements to the relevant authorities whenever they are rescued.
This is because the perpetrators often subject their victims to oath-taking sessions, thereby compelling them to remain mum whenever they are rescued or apprehended.
The victims are initiated in voodoo sessions and made to swear that they will never leak any secrets regarding the traffickers’ operations.
In spite of the comments on the anti-human trafficking crusade, there is need to step up efforts to tackle the menace using a multi-faceted approach.
The Federal Government must be urged to provide adequate resources for the agencies in charge of the campaign to sustain and improve their achievements in efforts to stamp out the menace.
With this, the country’s rating in the global campaign to eradicate the illicit trade in humans will significantly improve.
No matter whatever form it comes, human trafficking by all accounts is one of the heinous crimes of the twent-first Century, as it is liken to a modern form of slave trade.
Human rights activists, among other observers, maintain that human trafficking has become a global menace, particularly within the last decade, forcing many countries, including Nigeria, to initiate measures to combat it.
Human beings, the articles of the illicit trade, are trafficked within countries or to overseas countries for the purposes of cheap labour or as sex slaves.
Over the years, human trafficking has grown into a frightening proportions across the world, as no country or region of the world is spared from the menace.
However, it must be noted that like other global challenges, the world is tackling the menace of human trafficking headlong and with all the seriousness.
In Nigeria, for instance, the fight against human trafficking got to an appreciable level since the country became signatory to the Transnational Organised Crime Convention and Trafficking in Persons Protocol in December twenty hundred.
To coordinate the country’s anti-human trafficking efforts, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters was established in twenty zero three via the Trafficking in Persons "Prohibition" Law Enforcement and Administration Act twenty zero three.
Since its establishment, the Agency has been making efforts to stamp out the menace from the country and its efforts have been widely acclaimed as purposeful, resourceful and successful by observers within and outside the country.
The feats achieved by Nigeria in the war against human trafficking invariably compelled the United States government to upgrade Nigeria from a Tier two status to a Tier one status in its last year Annual Report on Global Human Trafficking.
The Agency's Executive Secretary, Simon Egede says Nigeria is proud of the achievement, stressing that the Agency had been able to secure more than seventy convictions of human traffickers within the seven years of its existence.
He also says more than three thousand victims of human trafficking have been rescued and rehabilitated by the agency.
With this achievement, the Agency deserves commendation, since it is believed that a country bedevilled by human and child trafficking is a dead nation because the country will be affected by the myriad consequences, ranging from economic to socio-cultural and diplomatic problems.
However, the war against human trafficking is far from over, as in March this year, an eighteen-year-old girl, Happiness Ogechi Uche, was rescued by the Agency from a camp in faraway Mali.
The Agency says the girl was enticed to embark on the trip to Mali with promises of securing a good job, adding that she unfortunately ended up in the North African country as a sex slave.
However, the campaign against human trafficking has been a collaborative effort involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigeria Police Force.
Moreover, Victims and would-be victims of human trafficking should be warned of the dire consequences of allowing themselves to become articles of the illicit trade with the bait of securing good jobs and some other bogus promises.
Also must be admonished that living in foreign countries could be dangerous as the human traffickers usually abandon their victims in the countries, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Though the rising incidence of human trafficking could be blamed on extreme poverty, but human trafficking could not be justified under any guise whatsoever, however, it may be the search for greener pastures that is pushing young Africans to fall prey to the plot of human traffickers.
However, one of greatest challenges facing the crusade against human trafficking is the refusal of the victims to make useful statements to the relevant authorities whenever they are rescued.
This is because the perpetrators often subject their victims to oath-taking sessions, thereby compelling them to remain mum whenever they are rescued or apprehended.
The victims are initiated in voodoo sessions and made to swear that they will never leak any secrets regarding the traffickers’ operations.
In spite of the comments on the anti-human trafficking crusade, there is need to step up efforts to tackle the menace using a multi-faceted approach.
The Federal Government must be urged to provide adequate resources for the agencies in charge of the campaign to sustain and improve their achievements in efforts to stamp out the menace.
With this, the country’s rating in the global campaign to eradicate the illicit trade in humans will significantly improve.
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