HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA

Mrs. Esther Nicole Otubo is one out of many Nigerians who engage in human trafficking by recruiting young girls for prostitution outside the country, this woman dont just recruit them for prostitution but also order innocent girls to stand naked  in front of the camera  , the video recording of this girls were to blackmail them in case they refused to pay their daily dividends  to her but as they say 'nothing last forever'

This trafficker was apprehended when she did same to one Ms Precious from Edo state Nigeria, who went to the United Arab Emirate in a bid to seek better opportunity outside Nigeria. She became one of many victims of Ms Esther Nicole like many others.Other Madams include Madam Ann and Madam Ebony, who has since been apprehended by the police .

The question now is what is the offense of these Madams who take young girls outside the country for prostitution?

Human trafficking is not unknown in our environment, most of us are traffickers but we will not agree, why did I say so, we keep under age children in our homes to be used as slaves for our own children, if that is all it would have been better older men around us abuse them sexually, most of them are not bold enough to tell their ‘boss’ because they are afraid of what will become of them if they ever do.

If you are  the type that gives out ladies to men to sleep with in exchange for money ,you are a trafficker, morally this is wrong ,spiritually it is unacceptable and legally it is a criminal offence.

What is human? Human trafficking is the trade in humans, mostly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation purposes for the benefit of the trafficker. Trafficking in children involves recruitment of children for child labor, transfer ,harboring or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation while sexual trafficking include coercing a migrant into sexual act as a condition of allowing or arranging migration.

Taking people into brothel where they are used as sexual workers is a form of human trafficking as an offence known to law. 

Nigeria has been referred to as a source, transit and destination country for women and children subjected to trafficking based on the high level of child slavery, sexual slavery which we have see as a major source of acquiring wealth. Nigeria traffickers recruits women and children from rural areas and parts of West African countries for involuntary domestic servitudes and forced commercial sexual exploitation and boys for forced labor in street vending and begging.

The federal government through its agency National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Person and other Related matters (NAPTIP)  criminalize the offence with a penalty of 5 years imprisonment for offenders in Nigeria , the act is Trafficking in Person Law Enforcement and Administration act 2005 and 10 years imprisonment for sex trafficking.

This same agency provide assistance to victims of trafficking from sheltering them and providing them with necessary assistance required.

We can all say no to human trafficking by assisting the relevant authorizes by providing them with information on potential trafficking activities in our society. As a student you can take action on your campus against human trafficking.

You can reach NAPTIP via email on info@naptip.gov.ng , infolagos@naptip.gov.ng  also via a letter addressed NO.2028 Dalaba Street,Wuze zone 5 FCT,Abuja Nigeria .Their toll free lines are 07030000208 and 08002255627847.

Let us help our government so that they can help us.

Thank you.

Oyenike Alliyu-Adebiyi LLB(hons)BL