Human Trafficking II: Combating Human Trafficking – SS1 Civic Education Lesson Note (Third Term)

Combating human trafficking means the steps that government and individuals take to prevent trafficking, punish traffickers and help victims.

• Nigeria’s main steps: setting up NAPTIP in 2003, enacting an anti-trafficking law, raising public awareness, training officials and rehabilitating victims.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State the efforts made by government and individuals to combat human trafficking.
2. State the punishments the law prescribes for different forms of human trafficking.
3. Give the full meaning of NAPTIP and say when it was established.
4. List the functions of NAPTIP.
5. Describe the work of the four departments of NAPTIP.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is the recruitment, transport or harbouring of people by force, threat or deceit in order to exploit them.

• Labour trafficking: victims are forced to work for little or no pay.
• Sex trafficking: victims are forced into sexual exploitation.
• Child trafficking: children are moved to be used for forced begging, hawking or domestic work.

What are the government and individual efforts to combat human trafficking?

The government fights trafficking through an agency, a law, funding, public education and the training of officials.

Government efforts

1. Setting up NAPTIP: the agency was established in 2003 to lead the fight against trafficking.
2. Funding: in 2009 the government pledged to fund NAPTIP’s activities each year with over 7 million dollars.
3. Public awareness: workshops, seminars and conferences are held in rural and urban areas.
4. Educational materials: manuals, textbooks and pamphlets in different languages explain trafficking and how to prevent it.
5. Anti-trafficking law: the 2003 Act was amended in 2005 to increase penalties and to prohibit trafficking in all forms.
6. Training of officials: with international partners, government trains NAPTIP, Police, Customs and Immigration officers to recognise, investigate and prosecute traffickers.
7. Private member bill: WOTCLEF (Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation) sent the first bill on trafficking to the National Assembly.

Individual efforts

• Reporting: tell NAPTIP, the police or a trusted adult about suspected trafficking.
• Educating others: warn friends and family about false job and travel offers.
• Being careful: check any offer of work or travel abroad before accepting it.
• Supporting victims: accept returned victims without shame so they can settle back into society.
• Joining campaigns: civil society groups and school clubs help to spread awareness.

How did the anti-trafficking law come into being?

The anti-trafficking law began as a bill passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President in 2003.

1. WOTCLEF sent a private member bill on trafficking to the National Assembly.
2. The Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Bill was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives on 7th July 2003.
3. President Olusegun Obasanjo gave his assent on 14th July 2003, making it an Act.
4. The Act was amended in 2005 to increase penalties.

What punishments does the law prescribe?

The law prescribes different punishments for different forms of trafficking.

Who enforces the law?

NAPTIP, the police, and immigration and customs officials enforce the anti-trafficking law.

• Arrest: the law empowers these bodies to arrest suspected traffickers.
• Trial: once arrested, traffickers can be tried in court.

What is the Child Rights Act?

The Child Rights Act is a 2003 law that makes child trafficking a criminal offence.

• Limit: Nigeria’s constitution places child rights issues under the state governments.
• Result: the Act applies in a state once that state’s government adopts it.

What is NAPTIP?

NAPTIP is the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Offences.

• Established: it came into existence on 26th August 2003.
• Legal basis: it was created by the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act of 14th July 2003.
• Purpose: to address the problem of trafficking in persons in Nigeria.

What are the functions of NAPTIP?

Section 4 of the 2003 Act gave NAPTIP these functions as the leading agency against human trafficking.

1. Coordinate all laws on trafficking in persons and other related offences.
2. Adopt measures to increase the effectiveness of the eradication of trafficking in persons.
3. Adopt witness protection measures and strengthen law enforcement agents in suppressing trafficking.
4. Set up proper communication channels, conduct research and improve international cooperation against trafficking by land, sea and air.
5. Supervise, control and coordinate the rehabilitation of victims.
6. Investigate and prosecute human traffickers.

What are the departments of NAPTIP?

NAPTIP has four departments: investigation, prosecution, counselling and rehabilitation, and public enlightenment.

1. Investigation unit: receives intelligence on trafficking, arrests traffickers and prepares them to be taken to court.
2. Prosecution unit: takes over traffickers arrested by the investigation unit and prosecutes them in court.
3. Counselling and rehabilitation unit: takes over victims and gives them shelter, food and counselling to reintegrate them into society.
4. Public enlightenment unit: educates the public on the dangers and consequences of human trafficking.

• Extra role of the rehabilitation unit: it helps victims overcome psychological and physical problems.

Evaluation

1. In which year was NAPTIP established?
2. Name the four departments of NAPTIP.
3. Which body sent the private member bill on human trafficking to the National Assembly?
4. What is the punishment for sex trafficking under the law?
5. State two things an individual can do to help combat human trafficking.

Assignment

Write the full meaning of NAPTIP, state four of its functions, and explain the role of each of its four departments in eradicating human trafficking.