Government and Individual Effort Geared Towards Combating Human Trafficking

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Welcome to class! 

In today’s class, we will be talking about government and individual effort geared towards combating human trafficking. Enjoy the class!

Government and Individual Effort Geared Towards Combating Human Trafficking

1. Establishment of NAPTIP in the year 2003.
2. The government pledged in 2009 to annually fund the activities and operations of NAPTIP with over 7 million dollars.
3. The government sustained efforts to raise awareness on human trafficking in both rural and urban areas by organizing workshops, seminars and conferences. Also by distributing manuals, textbooks, pamphlets, etc. printed in different languages on human trafficking and ways of preventing it.
4. Enactment of trafficking law and administration Act in 2003 that was amended in 2005 to increase penalties and punishment for traffickers and to prohibit human trafficking in all form.
5. Government together with international partners provide specialized training to officials of NAPTIP, Police, Custom and Immigration on how to recognize, investigate and prosecute human traffickers.
6. The move towards enacting a law to directly address the challenge of Human Trafficking in Nigeria started with a private member bill sent to the National Assembly by WOTCLEF.

Evaluation

• Highlight the efforts of government in eradicating human trafficking.

The Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Bill was passed by the National Assembly (House of Senate and House of Representative) on 7^th July 2003. President Olusegun Obasanjo gave his assent to the bill on 14^th July 2003 to make it an act. This act was further amended in 2005.

The law prescribed punishment of five (5) years imprisonment or a fine of 670 Dollars which is about #100,000 for labour trafficking. Ten (10) years to life imprisonment for sex trafficking. Ten (10) years imprisonment for the trafficking of children for forced begging and hawking. The law also prescribed a similar penalty for offences like rape.

The law empowers NAPTIP, police, immigration and customs officials to arrest human traffickers. Once arrested, human traffickers can be tried in court.

The Child Right Act was enacted in 2003 to make child trafficking a criminal offence. Nigeria constitution, however, placed child right issues under the jurisdiction of state government.

National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Offences (NAPTIP)

NAPTIP came into existence on the 26th of August 2003. This agency was established as a creation of the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law Enforcement and Administration Act of July 14^th, 2003. The agency was established to address the problem of trafficking in persons in Nigeria. For NAPTIP to perform its functions effectively as the number one agency for prohibiting and prosecuting human trafficking in Nigeria, section 4 of the 2003 human trafficking in person prohibition law enforcement and administration act gave NAPTIP the power to perform the following functions:

1. To coordinate all laws on trafficking in persons and other related offences.
2. To adopt measures to increase the effectiveness of the eradication of trafficking in persons.
3. To adopt witness protection measures.
4. To enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement agents to suppress the traffic in persons.
5. To establish proper communication channels, conduct research and work on improving international cooperation in the suppression of traffic in person by land, sea and air.
6. To supervise, control and coordinate the rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking.
7. To investigate and prosecute human traffickers.

Departments of NAPTIP

• Investigation unit.
• Prosecution unit.
• Counselling and rehabilitation unit.
• Public enlightenment unit.

1. Investigation unit:

This department receives intelligence information on human trafficking with a view to arrest and array them in court for prosecution.

2. Prosecution unit:

This is the department that takes over human traffickers that are detected and being arrested by the investigation unit of the agency. This unit carries out a proper and detailed investigation on the trafficker.

3. Counselling and rehabilitation unit:

This unit takes over victims of human trafficking by providing shelter, food and counselling for the victims in order to reintegrate them back to the society. It also helps them to overcome their psychological and physiological problems.

4. Public enlightenment:

This department educates the public on the dangers and consequences of human trafficking.

Evaluation

1. State the punishment awarded for people who engage in human trafficking.
2. Highlight the various functions of NAPTIP.

General evaluation

1. What is the meaning of NAPTIP?
2. Explain the roles of NAPTIP in eradicating human trafficking.
3. Define constituted authority?
4. Mention the types of constituted authority.
5. State the ways through which leaders emerge.

Reading assignment

Fundamentals of Civic Education for Senior Secondary Schools Book 3, Sola Akinyemi. Pg. 119.

Theory

1. How can the government assist in eradicating human trafficking?
2. Highlight five roles of individuals in eradicating human trafficking.

 

In our next class, we will be talking about Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF).  We hope you enjoyed the class.

Should you have any further question, feel free to ask in the comment section below and trust us to respond as soon as possible.

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