‘Human and not commodity’

July 30 is slated as the day to celebrate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.  The Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) and the Network of Civil Society Against Trafficking, Child Abuse and Labour (NACTA) put together a symposium and invited all stakeholders to discuss the latest trends used by traffickers and also […]

July 30 is slated as the day to celebrate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. 
The Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) and the Network of Civil Society Against Trafficking, Child Abuse and Labour (NACTA) put together a symposium and invited all stakeholders to discuss the latest trends used by traffickers and also create awareness on the ordeals and tortures faced by victims of traffickers. The United Nations defines trafficking in persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person.
“It also includes having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”
Mrs Veronica Umoru, the national coordinator of WOTCLEF in her opening remarks at the symposium noted that the theme, “Human and not Commodity”, is quite appropriate to expose the mean ways persons trafficked are treated and hopefully buy public support to hasten its eradication.
Mr Sylvester Atere, the outreach and communication officer of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) explained that in 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to combat trafficking in persons, and urged governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat the scourge.”
Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad.
According to Atere, every country is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin,transit or destination for victims.”
Speaking in the same vein, the national project officer of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Omoyemi Tunde, said the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that 21 million people often very poor and vulnerable are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and other harsh practices.
He added that each year 2.5 million people are victims of trafficking and slavery and 60 percent of them are women and children who often suffer abuse and unspeakable violence. “For traffickers and pimps, this is one of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world, generating a total of $32 billion a year. It is the third most profitable business after drugs and arms trafficking with little prosecution done.
“In conflicts, the lack of the rule of law creates a condition of impunity, where people are forced to traffic to finance wars, to provide sexual services and to reinforce enslavement of ethnic minorities, forcing many families and individuals to adopt harmful coping mechanism such as forced early marriages and child labour often resulting in exploitation and trafficking.”
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Ezekiel Oyemomi, said that it would be quite difficult to achieve goals and targets if trafficking is allowed to flourish.
According to him, the ministry is forging closer working relationships with all agencies collaborating to eradicate trafficking in persons, saying, “the recent enactment of the Violence Against Persons (prohibition) Act has also provided a veritable platform for eliminating all forms of violent acts against women and children.
“In this regard the ministry is currently undertaking a popularisation and awareness creation of the VAPP ACT to facilitate proper understanding of its provisions.”
The Deputy Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, giving a presentation on the current trends in human trafficking noted that the activities of insurgents in some parts of the country have increased the statistics of trafficking in persons.
His words: “Members of the criminal terrorist group continue to adopt women and children as soldiers, wives and most disturbing as instrument of bombs across the North-East.
“There is accusation against both the military and civilian JTF for recruiting children for forced labour and also in conflict.”
He added that there was need to educate these military and paramilitary personnel that women and children are to be protected in conflict zones.
Speaking on why the trade continues to flourish, Babandede said, “Human beings are not exhibited like cocaine; deception is the secret of cooperation, it is less risky with high profit and it is self serving. The victims can communicate and can assist in carrying out other crimes.”
He revealed that the Nigerian Immigration Service is set to launch a sensitisation booklet, “Passport to Safe Migration,” sponsored by the Spanish government under the supervision of the ECOWAS secretariat.
“It is a small pamphlet containing advice and information for potential travelers on the dangers of trafficking which will be given all Nigerians collecting passports and will be available at all land, air and sea borders. Nigerians in foreign countries without passports are identified as commodities and easy targets,” Babandede said, adding that to correct such situations, the immigration service presently has 41 passport issuing offices across the world and 42 in Nigeria to ease issuance of passport to Nigerians.
Mr Dennis Zulu, the officer in charge of the International Labour Organisation appealed to member states to take steps and rapidly ratify the new protocol, saying, “our collective commitment is only good as our action, therefore, let us ACT now, so that in the years to come we will be able to celebrate progress and eradicate trafficking.”