Experts Call For Stiffer Sanctions Against Human Traffickers.

By Khadija Aliyu

Trafficking In persons is often understood primarily in relation to sex work and can also occur for a range of exploitative activities to include domestic services, forced labour, forced street begging, criminal activities such as pick pocketing and exploitation of children.

The United nations has defined human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or reception of persons by means of threat, use of force or the other forms of coercion abduction, fraud or deception.

Scholars described human trafficking as a form of modern day slavery which involves the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain.

A research by World Bank in 1995 identified poverty, ignorance and family size as some of the major factors to human trafficking.

Nigeria is party to the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, complementing the united nations convention against transnational human rights violations.

Nigeria also ratified other international instruments which have provisions that can be applied by extension the protection of human rights of trafficked persons, including the convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

Meanwhile, the section thirty four of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, guarantees the right to dignity of the human person.

To address the issue of trafficking in the country, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) was established with the mandate of prevention, protection, prosecution and partnering with relevant bodies to eradicate human trafficking.

The Northwest Zonal Commander, NAPTIP, Barrister Ibrahim Babale told Radio Nigeria that the agency had recorded tremendous achievements in the fight aginst human trafficking and other similar offences.

He maintained that, the NAPTIP Trafficking In Persons Act of 2015 has set aside stiffer sanctions for those found in the ungodly practice.

Stakeholders are of the view that, Nigerian government to ensure provision of adequate funding for NAPTIP with a view to enhance prosecution of trafficking offenders and provide adequate care for victims.