The Lagos Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, said it successfully prosecuted and convicted 88 persons for trafficking in persons since inception.
Thirteen out of the 88 successes were recorded in 2018, according to Zonal Commander, Mr. Daniel Atokolo.
He also disclosed that the agency had several cases at various stages of adjudication in various courts in Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States, which fall under the zone.
Delivering a paper on “Effects of Illegal Migration on Families and Societies,” at a seminar on Wednesday in commemoration of International Day of Families 2019, he noted, however, that some trafficked persons were not innocent victims as they contributed in large part to their being trafficked.
The seminar was organized by Women’s Board, a non-profit organization that empowers women and young girls especially in the vocational skills of hospitality.
According to Atokolo, “there are victims who are not totally innocent of their own victimization. They contributed a large part of it; it’s like somebody who is already prostituting in Nigeria and she knows what she is going to do at the other side and even facilitated the process by giving money to be taken there, only for her to go there and get more than what she bargained for.”
He also disclosed that parents deliberately traffic their children especially daughters for prostitution.
“There are some parents who played active roles in their children being trafficked and such parents were arrested. When we arrest them, we persecute them. The fact that you are the parent doesn’t mean you can do anything to your child or with your child and nothing will happen.
“Even as a father, if you traffic your child for prostitution or for whatever reason and we catch up with you, you will go in for it. The only problem we have at the end is that their children refuse to testify, after some time some family members convince them not to testify so that it would not be said that they sent their parent to jail.”
Atokolo quoted UNICEF as saying that 80% of young women involved in prostitution in Italy were Nigerians.
He lamented that the breakdown of social values and “inverted mentality,” had contributed to a large extent in human trafficking.
“A situation where a father expects and encourages a daughter who may even be a minor to build a house for him, buy him a car and provide for his upkeep is what I call inverted mentality. It is contrary to the natural order because it is the father who should provide for the child.”
While noting that migration was a natural phenomenon, the NAPTIP Zonal Commander, said it becomes a problem when done illegally.
READ ALSO: NAFDAC Alerts Public on Circulation of Fake Cold Caplets in Gombe State
He listed brain drain, economic depression, under population, over population in destination country and sometimes death as some of the effects of illegal migration.
As a way forward, he advocated for mass employment, development and maintenance of infrastructure, strengthening of the economy, provision of social security and public enlightenment on the dangers of trafficking, among others.
Speaking on “Doing Better for Families: Reducing Family Poverty Across Nigeria,” Mrs. Chinelo Ujubuonu, Managing Director, MySchoolArena and a family counselor, noted that the problems of society are largely caused by a breakdown of the family structure.
She advised that government should not be blamed for societal problems rather people should look to their homes and the values they had inculcated in their children.
“Government is not an isolation, the Individuals that form the government come from families and whatever is wrong with the government, the family should be held responsible.”
Mrs. Ujubuonu identified lack of proper education within the family, unjust trade structure, inadequate agricultural infrastructure, security crisis and climate conditions as causes of poverty in families.
On how to eradicate poverty in the family, she advocated for better education, acquisition of skills, promotion of entrepreneurship, diversification of the economy, development of rural areas, fighting corruption within the family, the society and the government as well as mentoring the younger generation.
The United Nations declared May 15 as the International Day of Families to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world. It was first celebrated in 1995.
