By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-With an estimated 27 million people as victims of human trafficking globally, Devatop Centre for Africa Development has partnered with the United States of America Embassy to create awareness and take action against Human Trafficking and Irregular Migration.
The United States Senate designated January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month which is a period to promote awareness and actions against Human Trafficking in the Country and around the world.
It seeks to end the slavery, return rights to individuals and make the world a safer place for all inhabitants and it is also a time to get private sectors, Individuals, Religious Groups, Organizations, and Government involved in combating and preventing Human Trafficking.
The programme which held on Tuesday with the theme, “Fostering Action against Human Trafficking and Irregular migration”, had interactive discussions meant to stimulate participants to take strategic actions against human trafficking and irregular migration.
In his remarks, the Executive Director Devatop Centre for Africa Development Mr. Joseph Osuigwe stated that according to 2016 Global Slavery Index, there are over 875, 500 Nigerians who are victims of human trafficking overtime.
According to him, “Every year, 32 billion dollars is generated from the exploitation of 27 million victims globally. And NewsMax stated that 30, 000 victims of human trafficking die every year as a result of torture, hunger, and disease”.
Mr. Osuigwe also disclosed that Devatop Centre for Africa Development is currently working on developing a mobile application known as TALKAM which can be used to report incidences or cases of human trafficking and other human rights abuses as well as increase reportage of human trafficking in Nigeria.
The program which was divided into two sessions, had four discussants: Mr. Orakwue Arinze (Director Public Enlightenment, NAPTIP), Mr. Kolawole Olatosimi, Coordinator, NACTAL-North Central, Bar. Ngozi Ikenga, Chairperson, FIDA and Mrs. Imaobong Ladipo sanusi, Executive Director, WOTCLEF.
Speaking on the link and relationship between human trafficking and illegal migration/smuggling, Mr.Orakwue Arinze listed poverty and unemployment as causes of illegal migration and further buttressed that people have become vulnerable thereby making them gullible just to make ends meet.
On the difference between illegal/irregular migrations, he noted that an illegal migrant has no travel document or paper work, no permission or provision made for the migrant to travel and live in a country.
Also speaking, Bar. Ngozi Ikenga, chairperson, FIDA who spoke on the difference between trafficking and illegal migrants, explained that illegal migrants are usually aware of what to expect while the trafficked ones do not know what to expect as some of them have legal documents, but later have it taken away from them. “Some of them genuinely think they are going for greener pastures not knowing they are being trafficked”.
The third speaker Mr. Kolawole Olatosimi who spoke on the persistence of the problem of human trafficking and illegal migration, said that the pull and push factors are the main reasons.
According to him, “The pull factor is what makes people migrate to another country while the push factor pushes people away. Nigeria doesn’t have a social safety net. The traffickers occupy a high position in the society and the lack of social and moral standard in the country are also to blame. We all have to put laws in place and ensure traffickers loose every gain on trafficking”.
Furthermore, Mrs. Imaobong ladipo Sanusi(WOTCLEF), blamed human trafficking on the break down in moral system and also clergies who stand on the pulpit encouraging people to go abroad.
Speaking in the second session, Mr. joseph osuigwe of Devatop Centre for African development called on CSOs, Religious bodies and private sectors to do more to curb human trafficking and illegal migration, stressing that human trafficking is yet to be a national problem for Nigeria,
While using the Ebola outbreak as a case study, he stated that everyone saw Ebola as a national problem and fought it together, and therefore, human trafficking which he said is worse than Ebola should be tackled with all sense of urgency.
He however encouraged banks, churches and private sectors to get involved, pointing out that in 2016, the Federal Government reduced the budget of NAPTIP by 30 per cent and declared that NAPTIP needs to be well funded by the government.
The session ended with contributions , questions, answers and recommendations as well as reactions from Religious leaders, law enforcement officials, NAPTIP, CSOs, journalists, youth and educators .
