Human trafficking as an offence against the person has roots within societal structure, gender relations and is consequent upon the strengths and weaknesses of the protection framework in any country. These are factors that interact with organized crime to produce the heinous consequences associated with human trafficking. Trafficking in persons or human trafficking or trafficking in human beings is in short modern form of slavery that is unfortunately growing in scale and repercussions. Although, very difficult to quantify it is hugely underestimated because of its insidious, complex and dynamic nature. As one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world, trafficking in persons results in serious breaches of human rights and dignity of trafficked persons. Trafficking occurs within and across national borders, often with victims crossing many almost every country of the world is affected either as borders to reach their final destination. a source, transit, and/or destination.
Trafficking in persons (TIP) is a form of modern day slavery and is a grave violation of human rights. A recent report by the U.S. Government described the practice this way:
Human trafficking is a worldwide form of exploitation in which men, women, and children are bought, sold, and held against their will in slave – like conditions. People are trafficked and forced to work in the commercial sex trade, sweatshops, agricultural settings, domestic service and other types of servitude.
Trafficking in persons was relatively unknown in the country until about late 90s.Victims were seen as prostitutes or illegal migrants that were justifiably deported back home. On arrival in Nigeria, victims were treated as criminals within the country; victims were perceived as either prostitute for those kept in the brothels or as misfortune underprivileged individuals. Children were being exploited as cheap labourers in homes, farms and quarry sites.
In 2000 Nigeria signed and ratified the United Nations Trans-National Organized Crime (TOC) Convention and the Protocol to suppress and punish trafficking in persons The Protocol also known as Palermo Protocol was subsequently domesticated as Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003. The Act established the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) as Nigeria’s focal Agency in the fight against trafficking in persons especially women and children.
This law was amended in 2005. In March 2015 it was re-enacted.
NAPTIP recognizes that long before the enactment of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act (TIPPLEA) of 2003 as amended, and the subsequent creation of the Agency’s the focal and coordinating agency for anti human trafficking initiatives, NGO partners and major law enforcement agencies (LEA), especially the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were in the forefront of combating human trafficking. The LEA partners worked principally through their counter trafficking desks and the application of provisions of the Penal and Criminal Codes. Upon passage of the TIPLEA 2003 and establishment of NAPTIP, existing law enforcement initiatives have been implemented in cooperation with NAPTIP. The nature of this cooperation and engagement has been broad, including through training, joint operations, intelligence sharing, referrals and secondment of personnel to NAPTIP.
TIP is a lucrative aspect of trans- national organized crime and has become a threat to the lives and freedom of men, women, and children around the world. When victims of TIP are rescued, they often feel alienated from their families, communities, and culture. At best, they face a long and difficult process of rehabilitation and reintegration into society before they can begin to enjoy a secure and meaningful quality of life.
Today, people are being trafficked in all countries of the world, and they will suffer degradations that take many different forms, including sexual servitude, forced labour, physical and psychological abuse, and death. It is uncertain how many persons are trafficked around the world annually. However, estimates from various governments and international bodies range from hundreds of thousands to millions of victims each year.
Despite statistical difficulties various organizations or institutions have tried to estimate the magnitude of the problem. United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs (UNODC) posits that "Some 2.5 million people throughout the world are at any given time recruited, entrapped, transported and exploited- in a process called human trafficking..." According to the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report , June 2010 “ Adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world: 12.3 million” The 2007 report stated that every year some 800,000 women and children are trafficked across national borders, which does not include the millions trafficked within their own countries. The ratio is put at 1.8 per 1000 inhabitants and in Asia and Pacific: 3 per 1, 000 inhabitants. Approximately 80 percent of transnational victims are women and girls and up to 50 percent are minors. According to the UNICEF Executive Director, globally, an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year, within countries as well as across borders. A report released by the ILO in 2005 places the global minimum estimate number of persons in forced labour as a result of trafficking at 2,450,000. Trafficking represents a significant proportion of forced labour cases, namely about 20 per cent of all forced labour and about one quarter of forced labour cases exacted by private agents. Similar figures are given by the ILO Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, 2008. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Protocol) was adopted 15th Nov. 2000 and it came into force on 25 December 2003. So far, 141 countries as at October 31st 2010 are State Parties. Nigeria ratified this important Protocol on 28th June, 2001.
