Every story of human trafficking begins with a promise of a better life through mouth-watering job opportunities from a trusted acquaintance, friend or family member.

Human trafficking is simply the recruitment or transportation or transfer of a person through the means of deception, force, threats or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation can be forced prostitution, slavery, human body parts or organ harvesting, baby farms or baby harvesting (a peculiar means of trafficking were young girls are forced to get pregnant, birth the babies and the babies forcefully taken away to be sold), forced labour, forced begging (the almajiri system abuse), trafficking via religious cover (the manipulation of faith e.g. by fake pastors and fake Imams), marriage trafficking, trafficking for non-state armed groups etc.

People who fall prey to this menace are called trafficked persons or human trafficking victims while the perpetrators and offenders who carry out the crime are called traffickers.

Unfortunately, Nigeria is a country of origin, a transit nation and also a destination country for this menace. The government agency saddled with the responsibility of curbing this menace is the National Agency for The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The primary national legislation for addressing human trafficking in Nigeria is the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) and Administration Act 2018.

Human trafficking is a lucrative illegal industry that thrives on the vulnerability of people especially young girls and women.

Majority of these people are from economically poor countries and politically unstable countries, who become victims in the course of searching for greener pastures unknown to them that they are merely commodities required to generate income for gangs or madams.

Statistics have proven that young girls and women are mostly attracted and affected by this menace because of their vulnerable nature. Human trafficking thrives in Nigeria due to some socio-legal and socio-economic determinants which are; poverty, unemployment, corruption, bad governance, insecurity, banditry, gender inequality, cultural fetish practices, weak prosecution, gender inequality, cultural fetish practices, weak prosecution of traffickers, lack of inter-agency cooperation, illegal clinics, absence of a law regulating surrogacy and the lack of awareness on this menace.

Human trafficking scams are carried out through fake job vacancies and adverts , fake abroad juicy job offers(fake JAPA job offers), fake modeling gigs, deceptive promises of marriage, fake travel agencies, fake medical tourism adverts, baby factories, fake overseas sports and education scholarships and a person forced or coerced as a drug mule.

Human trafficking is not just a legal issue; it is an issue that needs to be looked at from different angles.

There is an absolute need to create awareness on the need to do due diligence before accepting job offers both locally and internationally among women especially at the local level on the risks they are faced with accepting working illegally overseas. Also, corruption, bad governance are major factors affecting the nation and facilitating this menace, the government needs to implement policies that will create legitimate job opportunities for women and young girls. Also the government should create and sponsor more poverty alleviation programs and set up projects that will employ and absorb the teaming unemployed people especially young girls.

Furthermore, the legal frameworks for combating this menace should provide stiffer penalties for perpetrators. Also, there should productive dialogue between Nigeria and other destination countries.

Victim rehabilitation should be prioritized by the government.

Enyang Duncan Oluohu is a Legal Practitioner and Gender Advocate

[email protected]