Criminals exploit vulnerable families
By Alade Adisa
Human trafficking is no doubt a global problem, and as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has observed, one in three known trafficking victims is a child, and the majority of trafficked children are sexually exploited. However, in Nigeria, some socio-economic factors have aggravated the crime. These factors include high unemployment, the high cost of living that has seriously eroded citizens’ purchasing power, ignorance on the part of victims and their families, among others.
Only recently, Adekola, daughter of Jumoke George, a popular Yoruba actress, was in the news after it was discovered that she was trafficked to Mali, where she spent four agonising years. What she went through during those four years is better imagined. Her mother’s joy knew no bounds when they were reunited.
What Is Human Trafficking?
According to Blue Campaign, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labour or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide. It can happen in any community, and victims can be of any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use the following methods to lure victims into trafficking situations: violence, manipulation, false promises of well-paying jobs, and romantic relationships. Language barriers, fear of their traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement frequently keep victims from seeking help, making human trafficking a hidden crime.
Who Can Be a Target?
Traffickers look for people who are easy targets for a variety of reasons, including psychological or emotional vulnerability, economic hardship, lack of a social safety net, natural disasters, political instability, etc. The trauma caused by traffickers can be so great that many may not identify themselves as victims or ask for help, even in highly public settings.
How Vulnerable People Are Exploited
In the case of Adekola mentioned earlier, she was promised a well-paying job in Europe. She was reportedly told that she would move to Europe through Mali because it was easier to obtain the necessary documents there. That began her ordeal, which lasted about four years.
Investigations by New Daily Prime in some red-light districts in Ikeja, Lagos Island, Abule Egba, and Agege in Lagos Metropolis showed that many young ladies were introduced to prostitution after being trafficked with false promises of better-paying jobs. Edo, Lagos, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom are some of the states notorious for human trafficking.
Data from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) indicated that no fewer than 750,000 persons are trafficked within and outside the country annually.
Is It Only a Menace Affecting Developing Nations?
The criminal act is not limited to developing nations, as those involved in it can be found all over the world.
A few days ago, Greater Manchester News reported a case involving some men found guilty of human trafficking and exploitation in Rochdale, England. Seven men in Rochdale were found guilty of a string of offences against two girls who were treated like ‘sex slaves.’
They were expected to have sex “whenever and wherever” in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways, and disused warehouses. The men were Mohammed Shahzad, Roheez Khan, Naheem Akram, Nisar Hussain, Mohammed Zahid, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Kasir Bashir.
The convictions came after a five-month trial arising from Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Lytton. Minshull Street Crown Court heard how two girls, teenagers at the time, were raped and abused for years.
They were treated as “sex slaves,” jurors previously heard. “Girl A” and “Girl B” bravely gave evidence during the trial, which began at the end of January. Their abusers were mainly either taxi drivers or market stall traders in the town. The girls were “passed around” for sex by the predators before being discarded.
Both girls had experienced troubled childhoods. Girl B was in care by the age of seven, and although Girl A lived with her mother, she had “no real home life to speak of,” the court heard. They were manipulated, plied with alcohol, and abused.
Bashir did not attend the trial, and jurors were ordered not to speculate why. After the verdicts were delivered, it was revealed that he had absconded while on bail before the trial got underway.
(Charges and details about each man are correctly stated as in your original draft and remain unchanged for accuracy.)
Recent Examples of human trafficking in Nigeria
At the weekend, NAPTIP, in collaboration with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), arrested three suspected members of a transnational human trafficking syndicate and rescued 20 foreign victims trafficked into Nigeria.
The agency said the coordinated operation was carried out in the Federal Capital Territory, Osun, and Nasarawa States, targeting key players in the trafficking network believed to have moved victims from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and Togo into Nigeria for forced labour.
The agency noted that the victims, lured with promises of high-paying jobs and eventual relocation to Europe, were deceived and subjected to various forms of labour exploitation upon arrival in Nigeria.
The successful operation was part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown following a directive from NAPTIP’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, to intensify surveillance and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.
In a related development, NAPTIP also rescued a Nigerian woman trafficked to Senegal under pretences. The victim, a graduate and single mother, was promised a job as a hair stylist but was instead forced into prostitution by a trafficker identified as “Madam Rose.”
After she refused to comply, the trafficker allegedly confiscated her identification documents and threw her out, leaving her stranded in Kidira, a remote area in Senegal.
According to a petition from her family, the victim endured emotional and psychological torment, leading to serious mental distress.
NAPTIP said it acted swiftly, working closely with the Nigerian Embassy in Dakar and other partners to secure her safe return.
Commenting on the development, the Director General of NAPTIP described the operations as a reflection of growing synergy between security and intelligence agencies in Nigeria.
She said, “The operation was strategic and targeted at transnational organised criminal elements that are now making Nigeria an attractive human trafficking destination. These individuals deceive victims with promises of employment, only to exploit them upon arrival.”
On the case from Senegal, Bello noted, “She is lucky to be alive, even though extremely traumatised. We have launched a manhunt for the trafficker and are working with law enforcement in Senegal to ensure she is brought to justice.”
With these latest efforts, the total number of trafficking victims rescued and received by NAPTIP in the past week now stands at 21.
According to a 2020 NAPTIP report, sex trafficking is particularly rampant in Nigeria, with nearly half of all rescued victims reporting they were procured for sexual exploitation, prostitution, or pornography.
Legislation Against Human Trafficking in Nigeria
In Nigeria, human trafficking is a serious criminal offence addressed through the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and the Child Rights Act, 2003, according to NAPTIP.
The Idia Renaissance Campaign in Edo State
In 1999, due to Edo State being labelled as the capital of human trafficking to Europe, especially for prostitution, the then First Lady, Mrs. Eki Igbinedion, founded the Idia Renaissance. The Idia Renaissance organises activities around human trafficking, including the reception of victims.
Mrs. Igbinedion took her campaign to Europe, especially Italy, where Edo ladies have earned the reputation of serving as sex slaves. However, as is common with programs set up by political office holders, after she left office, the agency’s activities dwindled, and successors did not follow up.
In 2021, Idia Renaissance partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to create awareness on human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women.
While responding to inquiries by New Daily Prime, the Press Officer of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, said the agency is not relenting in the fight against human trafficking.
“Child Trafficking, or human trafficking in general terms, is a global phenomenon posing a serious concern to State and Non–State Actors across the World. In Nigeria, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which is the Agency of Government established to tackle issues of human trafficking in the Country, has continued to perform fantastically well within its mandates.
“Under the leadership of the Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, the Agency has been very deliberate in its actions aimed at curtailing incidences of child and human trafficking in the Country. These include massive and sustained awareness creation to reduce the vulnerability of the people, especially in the unreached communities and locations. It has strengthened enlightenment efforts targeting the umbrella of women’s bodies, Community Leaders, organised youth groups, schools, motor parks, and even within artisan associations.
“NAPTIP has also increased the enforcement of the various legal policies and frameworks to enhance the prosecution of human traffickers, thereby ensuring that traffickers are brought to justice.
Adekoye said the agency has also increased its collaboration with sister law enforcement Agencies as well as MDAs to enhance vigilance, especially at the country’s entry and exit points.
