Trafficking
“Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of 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 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 labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (Europol, 2005, p. 10).”
The above definition can be divided into the three essential elements of Trafficking Elements of Trafficking through Action, Means, Purpose of Exploitation
“Trafficking in persons shall mean action -the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of 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 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 labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (Europol, 2005, p. 10).”
The above three elements must be present to be able to say it is a case of Trafficking, but note that the second or the means may not be present or relevant if a child is the victim of trafficking.
Overview of Trafficking in Person in Nigeria
Reports has it that Women and girls constitute about 70 % of traffic victims one third of this % are children. Women and girls are forced into prostitution, domestic servitude while the boys are used for forced labor in agriculture, mining, stone quarrying and even begging,
Some forms of trafficking are:
Traffickers operates baby factory disguised as orphanages, maternity homes e.t.c where women and young girls are held against their will, raped and forced to carry babies that will be sold after they have been born. these we have seen in recent media reports.
Also, women from West Africa transit Nigeria en route to Europe where they are being forced into commercial sex and other forms of sexual abuse. Example is a current video going viral about some Nigeria female victims of Trafficking who are begging to be helped.
Also in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, Boko Haram continue to forcibly recruit, abduct, and use child soldiers, as young as 12 years old as cooks, spies, armed combatants, suicide bombers in attacks in Nigeria, Cameron and Chad. While females are forced to choose between marriage to fighters for purpose of sexual slavery or being used as suicide bombers.
In the South West region, children are trafficked from places like Benue, Akwa- Ibom, Cross River to serve as domestic helps, prostitute and Forced labor on farmlands particularly in Cocoa production etc. Some young boys are even engaged in mining and quarrying activities.
The above overview is to bring the understanding of Trafficking in Persons to our very domain. That is, it is not far-fetched it is happening under our very nose. We may begin to identify cases of Trafficking around us.
WHO IS A FIRST RESPONDER
A person with specialized training who is among the first person to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency – Wikipedia. People from different stakeholders ranging from those who identify, support, counsels, and those who enhance access to Justice for victims of Trafficking and challenge the impunity of traffickers’, definition gotten from Palemo Protocol.
By the definition of the Palemo Protocol cited above we can begin to deduce who are likely to be be first responders in cases of Trafficking. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related offences. (NAPTIP) is agency of Government saddled with the responsibility of combating the crime of Trafficking, it has the sole role of prosecuting human trafficking offenders but then, they work in synergy with other stakeholders who identify, carry out preliminary investigations and hand over to NAPTIP for further investigation and possibly prosecution of suspected human trafficking offenders.
These other agencies include but not limited to the following Security agencies:
NSCDC- Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps
NPF- Nigerian Police Force
NIS- Nigerian Immigration Services
FBOs- Faith Based Organization
CSOs- Civil Society Organization
NACTAL.
QUALITIES OF FIRST RESPONDERS IN HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE HANDLING
- He/she must be able to identify a Trafficking case when one is seen or reported
- He/she must be calm and show empathy to victims of Trafficking
- He/she must know when and where to make referrals to when the need arises.
In handling cases of human trafficking, the use of referrals mechanism can not be overemphasized for effective case handling. Some times in 2016 the National Referrals Mechanism tools (NRM) was launched by NAPTIP. This tool became necessary for effective and optimum case handling there by leveraging on the strength of individual agency or body to win the fight against traffickers
It should also be noted that the roles of combating the crime of Trafficking also falls heavily within the Purview of the Ministry of Women Affairs of all States of the federation.
ROLES OF FIRST RESPONDERS
Note a responder may not be able to perform all the roles but he/she can always refer.
- PROTECTION
- Identification – ability to identify a case of Trafficking when one is seen.
- Rescue -ability to rescue a victim of trafficking.
- Reception – ability to provide warm reception to TPs upon referral including reception at arrival and departure points (e.g. bus parks, air and sea ports), safe transportation to shelter and other accommodation facility where needed.
- security- must be able to gain the confidence of TPs (trafficked person (s))to guarantee and ensure his or her safety
- PREVENTIVE ROLES
- Creation of Awareness and sensitization as it is being down by the Administrators of ROTDOW Community
- Advocacy groups and support for TPs.
- REHABILITATION ROLES
- Psycho-social support for TPs
- Health care
- Counseling
- mentoring
- Facilitation of capacity building for TPs
- REINTEGRATION ROLES
- Family tracing
- Home investigation
- Family counseling
- Family reunion.
It is worthy of note that the consent of the TPs is needed to be able to carry out all of these roles. It has been observed that some victims do not even know that they are exploited. This bring us to what can a concern person do when a TPs is noticed. We must note that the initial response to a TPs is a safe guarding one.
You must assess whether it is safe for you and the victim. Some victims are under threat of oath not to disclose their profile to anyone. If it is safe for you to intervene, then do it in private. When your suspicions are confirmed, you can report to the nearest security agencies around you and if you can’t confirm your suspicions still go ahead to report. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, YOU MUST SAY SOMETHING.
The security agencies will work on you suspicions or report, they will investigate, and when elements of Trafficking has been identified, the case will be transferred to the nearest NAPTIP zonal office. Usually, when children are involved, the children victims are referred to the ministry of Women Affairs or relevant NGO for shelter, counseling etc., pending the arrival of NAPTIP for pickup of case. We are all Responders in cases of Trafficking and other forms of child abuse. Let find our place and synergize with other relevant stakeholders to bring this menace to the minimum.
By so doing our society will be a better place.
Facilitated by Yemi Faboyo-Agbede, Head of Anti-Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration Unit of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Ondo State Command.
