CAUSES AND EFFECT OF CHILD TRAFFICKING IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Child trafficking is an ugly fact of our society that is prevalent even today. Child trafficking is a world-wide problematic issue. Over the years, it has metamorphose into frig teeming growth rate, having reached its peak and without showing sign of reduction in parts of Africa, Eastern, Europe, the Caribbean’s and Latin American countries. It is crucial to note that the increase on the cases of child trafficking in Nigeria is due to the undaunted efforts of the operators and profiteers of the business who are quick to cite unprecedented poverty and the near absence of the basic necessities of life as their driving force.
Child trafficking has brought poor reputation in the state. our main economic problem is child trafficking., since we began on the path of nationhood or society. The main obstacle for striding bodily on this path has been the child trafficking problem because of unemployment. As a result of this, there has been for the past few years steady drift away of young men into other countries. This has the chain result of our society being left under populated or underdeveloped.
Secondly, Nigeria has been bedeviled by myriad of problem most of the problems can be attributed to the pervasiveness of some of the ills that hamper the attainment of the development of the society. As a result of ills that currently hampers the development of the country, child trafficking has become widespread and now occupied a preeminent position among the ills that pervade the Nigeria society. While, it may appear that the problem seem endemic in Edo State especially Oredo Local Government, there are indications that no parts of the country is immune from this social malaise that has ravaged many communities. There are an estimated 80 million by 2015. The international labour organization (ILO) recently estimated that over 12 million Nigerian children especially in Edo State are engaged in child labour. The survey also estimated that over 10, 000 Nigerian are engaged in prostitution in Italy which constitutes in the Italian sex market. Most of these women and girls are initially trafficked victims many people especially women and children are lured with the promise of good jobs and salaries and then sold into prostitution or bonded labour.
Child trafficking is considered to be modern day slavery where many children and women are force fully or fraudulently recruited, transported and harbored for sexual or labour exploitation. The victims of child trafficking are usually made to provide sex under threat and without consent. However, they are also used as labors to work in field and fisheries, sweep shops or as domestic helps. Thirdly, child trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world with the total annual revenue for trafficking in persons, not less than two hundred and fifty thousand persons, mostly female (i.e. 60% persons ranging from 12 years-18 years, while 40% persons above 18 years are trafficked across the Nigerian borders yearly especially in Oredo, Edo State and other part of Edo State. the business of trafficking in child beings is today organized by groups that are also involved in weapons and narcotics colluding with government officials in dozen countries. There is very little doubt that it is in curative business and maybe one of the most difficult to combat. They are less visible than those caused by gun running and trafficking. Exploiting the poverty and low status of women in the developing world, middle men are able to bring together the supply and demand for cheap labour and sex in ways that linkable not long ago. Though, the fact of child trafficking is not difficult to understand on its own, its dimension and categorization continue to multiply by the day. The educational curriculum might have over sighted this problem, therefore no room was created for this social ills the subjects that deals on moral that is Christian religious knowledge and the Islamic religious knowledge are gradually phasing out as teacher that staunched these courses are not being employed by some employers social studies which exposes our children to the vices and virtues in the society is only studied in the junior secondary classes. So students cannot but cope with the make believe life of affluence, flamboyances, greed which has made people especially the female trafficking a huge success in our society.
Child trafficking is the illegal commerce and trade of people. It is essentially the facet of slavery which relies on direct purchase in contrast to the “natural increase” from enslaving the children of slaves. The United Nations (UN) defines “trafficking in persons” as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboruring ort receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion of abduction of fraud of deceptions, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments achieve the consent of a person, having control over another person’s for the purpose of exploitation.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study as a worldwide problem, frightens the growth rate of our economy, reducing lives of people in the world it has also brought poor reputation to the state. because of unemployment child trafficking has increased particularly in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State, they have gone in search for money which has led the state to be underdeveloped. The research is designed to view the immediate causes and effect of child trafficking in Nigeria a selected place in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State. Because people had fail to recognize the effect if would bring to the state.
The researcher hope that this project work would assist the society both at home and in school to reduce child trafficking and more also the problem which the researcher intend to look into are as follows:
1. What are the effects of child trafficking among the youth in Oredo Local Government Area in Edo State?
2. What are the causes of child trafficking on the teenagers., adult etc in Edo State?
3. How does child trafficking affect the nation?
4. What are the effect of child trafficking on the standard of living of the youth in Oredo Local Government in Edo State?
5. What are the possible difficulties that the society encounters in child trafficking?
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The ultimate goal of this study includes;
1. To enumerate the various types of child trafficking in Nigeria especially in Oredo Local Government in Edo State.
2. To examine the effects of child trafficking in Edo State particularly Oredo Local Government Area?
3. To examine the causes of child trafficking in Oredo?
4. To proffer solution to the effects and causes of child trafficking?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to find solutions to the problems raised earlier, the following research questions were raised.
1. Does the poor standard of living bring about child trafficking?
2. Does high illiteracy level bring child trafficking?
3. Does high level of child trafficking hinder development?
4. Does child trafficking brings about frustration among the youth in Edo State?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study of the effects and causes of child trafficking in Nigeria is considered important due to the fact that this is capable of having a great impact on individual and the entire members of Edo State.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY (DELIMITATION)
The scope of the study is based on the evaluation of child trafficking in some selected places in Oredo which are;
– Ring Road, Benin City
– Ekewan, Benin City
– Ogbe, Benin City
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Some words are defined or described to show their meaning as used in this study;
Human: Having to do with mankind as opposed to God or animals of persons having the qualities feelings.
Trafficking: Movement of people along road and streets, of an aircraft in the sky, a transport business done by a railway, steamship line etc trading and commerce.
Slavery: The act of being a slave or condition of being sold into country.
Illegal: Against the law
Profiteer: One who makes large profits unfairly.
Madams: persons involved in trafficking and also force them into prostitutions abroad.
Trolleys: Persons involved in trafficking.
Sex chattels: Personal, object for sexual exploitation.
Business: This is an activity with economic significance under taken with primary purpose of creating customers.
Harboruring: A place of shelter for ships
Fraud: Dishonest dealing, one who pretends to be other than he is.
Exploitation: The act of making use of selfishly.
Poverty: The state of being poor.
Prostitution: This is the act in which a woman offers the use of her body for sexual intercourse to anyone who will pay for this.
Drugs: Substance used for medical purpose, either alone or in a mixture.
Abuse: Wrong use of something, like drugs.
Bond: Agreement or engagement that a person is bound to observe, especially one that has force in law, document signed and sealed, containing such an agreement, enter into with somebody.