Role of parents in preventing child trafficking

The 12-year-old and his parents were very happy at this golden opportunity. However, when he got there, instead of performing hajj, he was handed over to another man who gave him and other small boys bowls to start begging and  making returns to him on daily basis and that became his lot for several years […]

The 12-year-old and his parents were very happy at this golden opportunity. However, when he got there, instead of performing hajj, he was handed over to another man who gave him and other small boys bowls to start begging and  making returns to him on daily basis and that became his lot for several years until he was rescued.
Agnes lived with her poor parents in a village in Edo State until a friend introduced her to a rich madam from Lagos who later met her where she works as a sales girl. She promised to help her secure a job as a nanny in Europe through her connections.
After a tortuous journey to Europe, she discovered she was tricked into becoming a prostitute there. All the proceeds were taken away from her by the madam she had to keep working for her until she earned her freedom.
Like Bala and Agnes, some parents in this country have been met by strangers and even close relatives who approached them with promises of sending their children to school or getting them jobs only to take them to other places to do something else. In some cases it is the parents who seek out the traffickers believing they will help their children out of poverty.
Several children are still being trafficked from the rural areas to the cities till date.
Child trafficking is one of the fastest growing organized crimes globally with an estimated 1.2 million victims yearly of which 32 percent are Africans.
NAPTIP Report 2012 noted that more boys 0-17 years fell victim to child trafficking while there is no much difference between the numbers of under aged girls. The report showed that external trafficking for sexual labour had the highest nos which constituted 24 percent followed by child abuse at 16 percent and child labour with 13.5 percent.
  Child trafficking occurs when a child is moved from one place to another within a country for example from a village to a town or across an international border like from Nigeria to another country by someone or a group of persons into situations of exploitation.
The exploitation comes in different forms such as sexual abuse, forced labour, house help or domestic servitude, begging, human organ harvest, prostitution, outright sale, working in mines, quarries, factories, mechanic workshop and  agricultural activities to mention a few.
Kolawole Olatosimi of the Child and Youth Protection Foundation explains child trafficking as the movement of children from their environments or homes to other places or environments to work under exploitative conditions like prostitution, domestic child labour and other forms of exploitative forced labour.
He said the consequences of child trafficking include; physical and sexual abuse, risk of death and serious diseases,  mental and emotional problems including nightmares, insomnia and suicidal tendencies, alcohol, drug abuse and addictions,  unwanted pregnancies, forced abortion and abortion s related complication, spread of HIV and AIDs among others.
Others identified by experts include; being denied their basic rights to education, health and protection, being poorly fed and starved, separation from families loneliness and serious injury among others.
Olatosimi said all these consequences and many more undermine the personal development of children and also bring serious problems to the entire community and society as a whole.
It is the role of parents to protect their children from violence, abuse and trafficking.
Head, Communication and Media of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Arinze Orakwue, said parents can help prevent child trafficking in the country by being wary of offers that are too good to be true from people including relatives.
 He said when offers are made to vulnerable people  “like I will process visa for you , I will do everything for you, I just want to help you but then add you will swear to an oath of secrecy for me, it should naturally set the alarm bells ringing because ordinarily nothing goes for nothing , and if he or she really wants to help he wouldn’t subject you to an oath of secrecy,” he said.
He said an example of other cases include when  people come to them and single out their young female child, who is not educated, among their children telling them they will get her good jobs abroad and even in places where they don’t even speak  English language, it should set alarm bells ringing, it is not true.
He said parents should also call and check with NAPTIP when they receive offers from people concerning their children that are too good to be true.                                                                  
Assistant Director  Counseling and Rehabilitation, NAPTIP,  Mrs Elizabeth Ekaete, in her paper on “Preventing child trafficking and promoting children’s rights in Nigeria: The role of parents” said the roles of parents in child trafficking and promoting child’s right is strategic and paramount for the protection of the child.
She said parents should make adequate provision for the family. “Spend quality time with their children, show love, share in their aspirations, be embodiment of trust and give them quality education,” she said.
She said parents should develop themselves and be well informed about the laws on children’s rights, educate children on their rights and obligations and ills of child trafficking in addition to being children’s advocate, and counselling other family members on the ills of child trafficking.
Ekaete advised parents to show love to their spouses and avoid exposing their children to spousal violence, be involved in their children’s activities, their friends and whom they interact with and also report cases of child trafficking and rights violation.
A parent, Mrs Grace Adelabu,  advised parents to  investigate properly those who come to them offering to help their children . She said parents should do away with several cultural beliefs and practices that encourage child trafficking. “Some people believe it is their culture to bring children from rural areas to hawk for them,” she said.
The National Coordinator of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), Mrs Veronica Umaru, said parents can help prevent child trafficking by first understanding that it is a crime and has negative effects, and  should not give out their children indiscriminately to people.