CHILD ABUSE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor: a modern-day form of slavery. It is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, and tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest, after the drug-trade.^[2][3]

 HUMAN trafficking remains an intractable problem in Nigeria and West Africa. It is believed to be a modern-day slavery occasioned by greed, poverty and poor legislation, with the victims predominantly children, girls and women.

Indeed the severity of the illegal sale and trade in persons particularly children and females in Nigeria, and west African sub-region, prompted governments to seek new strategies to combat the heinous crime. 


The dangers of human trafficking are listless which includes the wide spread of HIV/AIDS. This epidermic has rendered many families in the nation hopeless.

Poverty, responsible for human trafficking – Imoke

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According to her, various researches indicate that the root cause of the phenomenon of trafficking is poverty, ignorance, civil strife, and greed. She also said that one of the causes identified in Cross River is the incidence of child rejection …

Human trafficking endangers Nigeria's future — Immigration [Access Restricted]

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Speaking on the occasion of a workshop on human trafficking convened by Nigeria Immigration Service, Cross River State Command and the Calabar Municipal Government, Dr. Popoola said, “Trafficking in persons, which has received global attention in recent times, is rated the second largest illegal and organised crime in the world after drugs in terms of revenue earnings.”

He noted that in Nigeria, “it has its victims among foreigners and Nigerians alike. They are usually transported by road, by sea and by air using several disguises, via Gabon, Cameroun and other neighbouring countries to undertake inhuman jobs under degrading conditions.

Nigeria: Porous Border Aids Human Trafficking [Access Restricted]

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The girls, who are from four southern Nigerian states Edo, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Delta, told the officials that Osagie arranged with their parents to take them to Libya to work as maids for US$1,272 fees each, which they would pay in instalments from their wages.  "The work promise is a ruse. The truth of the matter is that they were going to pay the fees from the money they would make from prostitution in Europe," Ockiya said.

"Our investigation shows that 40 percent of trafficked girls repatriated to Nigeria test positive to HIV and this has serious social and economic implications," he said.

Nigeria: When Bankole Wept for Unfortunate Children

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Despite the fact that Nigeria is a sovereign member of the United Nation and a competent signatory to the above international instruments against child abuse; the intolerable social phenomenon is on the steady increase in the country. In fact, it is absurd to note that millions of Nigerian children are subjected daily to all forms of abuse ranging from trafficking to slavery and forced labour. This ugly situation continues in spite of the efforts by law enforcement agencies, international, national and governmental authorities.

Nigeria: Police Rescues 105 Children From Human Traffickers

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The 'anti human trafficking piracy special Investigation unit' of the FCT police command has so far rescued 105 teenagers between the ages of five to thirteen years from human traffickers, in different places in Abuja.

He said the children were trafficked from Nassarawa, Lagos, Kano, Kwara and some villages within the FCT to be used as sex slaves and child labourers within the Motor Parks, Markets and restaurants in Abuja, which contravenes section 19 of the 'Trafficking Act in Persons'.

Musa disclosed further that one of the suspects, Amina Adamu actually confessed that she kidnapped the victims to the FCT for prostitution as well as to be used as slaves, for her to get money.

Nigeria: Country Leads in Women Trafficking to Europe - Minister

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The Minister of Labour, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal, said Tuesday that Nigeria has more cases of trafficking of women to Europe and Middle East than any other African country.  The minister, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the International Cooperation Workshop against Human Trafficking in Abuja, said most of the trafficked women are forced into prostitution.

Dr. Lawal also expressed concern that most anti-trafficking programmes focus on trafficking for sexual exploitation, saying that the campaigns are "too narrow in scope."

"ILO estimates further indicate that 80 percent of forced labour in the African region is for economic exploitation and only 8 percent for commercial sexual exploitation," he said.

Nigeria: Human Trafficking - a View From Edo State

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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.

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).

Accused human trafficker fights extradition

It was part of an international police operation that led to another 19 people being arrested in Britain, the United States, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Ireland and Nigeria.  Dutch officials said the smuggling ring used fear of voodoo to force dozens of young Nigerian children and women to work as prostitutes in European countries including the Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain.  They said the under-age girls were forced to promise a voodoo priest in Nigeria that they would pay off debt.

Nigeria: Victims of Human Trafficking Contract Aids

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Head of National Agency for the Prohibition and Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Kano State zone, Ahmed M. Bello has disclosed that over 60 per cent of victims of trafficking repatriated to the country tested HIV positive.

The victims who are mainly teenagers, he added, engaged in prostitution overseas.

95 women arrested for alleged human trafficking

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“These teenage girls were brought into Lagos from the South-South for trafficking to neighbouring Benin Republic for child labour,” he said.  “Investigations revealed that the trafficked children have been sexually abused.  “They alleged that their masters used them for commercial sex business in brothels where they make returns of N1,000 to them per day,” Abubakar said.

Lawyer jailed for human trafficking

www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/lawyer-jailed-for-human-trafficking-320681.html

www.eveningecho.ie/news/story/?trs=mhcwaugbidkf

He said taking all this into account, Ilori’s crime wasn’t at the highest end of the scale but added that "it was undoubtedly the case" that he brought twelve Mauritian nationals into the country knowing they were illegal.  Judge Nolan said he accepted that there was a scheme in place and said that although there were others involved, Ilori was an actor in it and made financial gains through it.  He said that these Mauritian nationals suffered because they paid out quite a bit of money and left their native country believing they had work available here.

Curtailing human trafficking in Ebonyi

www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-67320.0.html#msg1309114

www.tribune.com.ng/20072007/igbo_feat.html

The question bugging the minds of many remains, is human trafficking on the increase in Nigeria? Who are the masterminds of human trafficking? Who are most at risk of being trafficked? What are the methods employed by traffickers to lure/recruit their victims? What inhuman and unjust conditions are victims subjected to? What impact has the creation of National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) made in efforts to combat these ugly development, as well as the National Assembly?

It is worthy to note that despite the effort being made by the Federal Government to stem the rising tide of human trafficking, the menace has not abated.

Nigeria Intercepts 62 Suspected Child Laborers

The Nigerian police intercepted a truck in the country's south carrying the potential child laborers to Cameroon and Gabon. The children included a three-year-old girl. Oraukwe says some suspects have been arrested and would soon be prosecuted.

"We have secured 12 convictions; we have not lost any case since this thing started," said Oraukwe. "We cannot let this matter go down like that, especially when it is not just Nigeria. What my boss is doing is to try to reach out to those countries that have their citizens here, to take custody of their citizens while we prosecute the traffickers."  Child trafficking is punishable by a maximum 10-year jail term in Nigeria.