NAPTIP’s human trafficking outcry

LAST week, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it had uncovered a ploy by some suspected human traffickers to lure Nigerians with fake jobs in Ghana, Ivory Coast and other countries in West Africa. The agency explained that the suspected traffickers usually exploited global brand trademarks and presented unrealistic oil and gas job offers to traffic youths and other groups of people to neighbouring countries in the region for various forms of exploitation. There seems to be no end to acts of criminality in the land, with felons of different hues devising various methods to hoodwink economically vulnerable citizens, not just to rob them of the little they have or have borrowed, but also to subject them to slavish treatment outside the shores of the country. Apparently, with the cacophony around the plight of Nigerians trapped in Libya and  some other Arab countries under inhuman conditions and who have to be officially helped to return to the country,  the human traffickers appear to be shifting their heinous activities to the West Coast. Without any prick of conscience, these dubious and unpatriotic Nigerians rob their victims of their freedom and liberty, degrade them and reenact the evils of the slave trade era in their rawest form.

NAPTIP really has to up its ante by intensifying the sensitisation of the youths against the nefarious activities of the modern-day slave traders. If the usually targeted group of vulnerable persons are sufficiently educated and sensitised, they will realise that the economic conditions in many of the West African countries are not much better than Nigeria’s. Indeed, the reality is that there are even more opportunities for creative youths to profit from their endeavours in Nigeria owing to the relatively huge market that it offers by reason of its large population. Yet, NAPTIP says victims are being enticed with promises of lucrative employment opportunities in gold mining and oil companies, with monthly incomes of $900. These are the kinds of offerings that educated and/or enlightened youths should interrogate and hence avoid falling victim of the antics of tricksters. According to the agency, the victims are trafficked through the waterways of Ode Jetty in Lagos en route to Benin Republic and other parts of the West African subregion. It also added that some victims are also trafficked through the land routes. The fact that these traffickers have continued to escape the scrutiny of the security agencies on the water and land routes speaks volume about the porosity of the country’s borders, which in itself puts a question mark on the commitment and effectiveness of the officials manning the borders.

NAPTIP deserves commendation for the comprehensive enlightenment strategies it embarks upon to equip Nigerians with timely and accurate information. We urge the agency to sustain this trend in order to reduce the vulnerability of Nigerians to the slickers. There are indications that they have adopted new tactics to lure their victims. Indeed, NAPTIP as an agency still has a long way to go in order to fully deliver on its mandate to stamp out human trafficking in the country even though it has recorded a few major successes in pursuit of that mandate. It is gladdening that the current leadership has been trying to build on the performances of its predecessors through timely information and collaboration with other agencies of government. In the words of the NAPTIP Communication Officer, Vincent Adekoye:  “In recent times, NAPTIP has redoubled its efforts through enhanced partnership, collaboration, diligent prosecution, and extensive awareness campaigns aimed at bolstering its operations, resulting in a significant increase in convictions of human traffickers.” This should be sustained. Perhaps it is also time to review the sanction grid for human trafficking offenders to ensure that it can effectively deter or discourage other traffickers and would-be traffickers from continuing with the illicit business or going into in the first place.

While the application of the force of deterrence is very important to stemming the tide of human trafficking, the real solution lies in preventing people from falling victim through sensitisation and  by creating an economic condition that makes people less vulnerable to the antics of human  traffickers. An economic environment where hardworking persons can live a fulfilling life will make fake promises of better life elsewhere less attractive. Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director-General of NAPTIP,  while calling on Nigerians to be careful, stated: “I urge you to exercise caution, ask questions, and seek a second opinion before accepting any tempting offers. Do not allow desperation to cloud your judgment.” This is good advice, but the truth is that most of the victims of human trafficking are desperate. Usually, they don’t choose to have a despairing view of their situation; circumstances push them to do that.  Thus, while Nigerians, particularly parents, need to be guided and constantly look out for their children and wards, the real solution, as we have said time and again, lies in good governance. Nigerians would not be easy prey to traffickers if the socioeconomic climate was clement. For instance, one hardly hears of European or North American youths being trapped with promises of a better life elsewhere because their domestic economy has something to offer every willing and active economic actor.  In other words, the combination of good governance and sensitisation of the youths, with more emphasis on the former, is the surest instrument to rein in human trafficking very significantly. That is the solution the government must seek.

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