Follow Us on Google
It is sad that many Nigerian girls are reportedly sold into sex slavery in Mali and other neigbouring West African countries for between N210,000 and N240,000. According to the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, the agency wants the Nigerian government to collaborate with the governments of West African countries to end the heinous practice.
The NAPTIP boss, who made a presentation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament during its First Ordinary Session, some weeks ago, told the members that Nigerian girls were being sold for the aforementioned sums of money to work as prostitutes. Also, Okah-Donli disclosed that after being sold, the girls were asked to repay between N1.08 million and N1.2 million within eight months to their madams.
She revealed that efforts to repatriate the girls were usually foiled through the complicity of Malian security forces as well as the willingness of many of them to continue the ‘sex-for-gold’ trade. Available statistics show that over two million Nigerians reside in Mali. Not less than 20,000 of these Nigerians are girls believed to be victims of trafficking. About two million persons, most of them women and children, are trafficked in Nigeria annually. And not less than 75 per cent of the victims were trafficked across the states, 23 per cent within states, while two per cent were moved outside the country.
We commend the DG of NAPTIP for highlighting this problem. All the same, we decry the trafficking of young Nigerian girls in Mali and other West African countries. It is equally disturbing that young Nigerian girls are trafficked as domestic servants, sex slaves to neigbouring countries such as Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana and Gabon en route to Europe and America.
Considering the magnitude of the problem, we call on the Federal Government to step up measures to end the dastardly act. It can liaise with Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Guinea, Senegal and others to end the menace. Trafficking should be seen as an evil trade. Apart from debasing womanhood, trafficking of Nigerian girls dents the country’s image in the international community.
Therefore, all tiers of government ought to work together to stop it. To curb trafficking, there is need to sanitise all the motor parks through which the girls were trafficked. The extortion of Nigerians who travel to or through the affected countries should be stopped forthwith. Also, the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons and goods must be properly implemented so that nationals of member states are not harassed in other ECOWAS countries.
We advise the Federal Government to embark on massive job creation and reduce the rising rate of unemployment among the youths. The government should make the country to work. It must provide adequate electricity, transportation, food, water, housing and efficient health services. It should also make elaborate plans to curb poverty in the country. We have no doubt that the prevailing economic hardship in the country is enough to make young Nigerians to embark on travels that later end up in human trafficking. The Federal Government’s social investment programmes should be tailored to ensure that the youths, especially young girls, are given the opportunity to work in farms, schools and health facilities across the country. Government can provide them loans to enable them become self-employed. We advise Nigerian youths, especially the young girls, to be circumspect in accepting any unsubstantiated job offers abroad. Such job offers can be used to lure them to trafficking.
There should be sustained public enlightenment on the evils of human trafficking. Parents and religious leaders should be educated on the evils of the trade. Nigerian girls should be made to understand that the pastures are not always greener overseas. Last year, the US government placed Nigeria on Tier-2 Watchlist for its failure to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. We urge the government to strive to meet the aforementioned standards if it has not done so. Above all, let the government work with some global agencies to end trafficking of young Nigerian girls.
