The National Assembly
on Monday prescribed a minimum of 10 years imprisonment for persons
convicted of human trafficking in addition to paying fines.
This position was
canvassed in Abuja on Monday at the opening of a joint public hearing on a Bill
for an Act to repeal the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law
Enforcement and Administration Act 2003.
The Chairman, House
Committee on Human Rights, Rep. Beni Lar (PDP-Plateau), said that fines alone
were no longer an option for persons convicted of trafficking.
Lar said: ``NAPTIP
estimates that eight million Nigerian children are engaged in exploitative
child labour, hence the need to provide legal and institutional support for the
agency."
She highlighted four
of the bill's key amendments to include: ``NAPTIP would no longer have to rely
solely on government for funding.
``The bill provides
for greater integration of counter trafficking strategies by including a wider
range of state security agencies and CSOs.
``It broadens the
definition of trafficking by including activities such as the procurement or
recruitment of any person for organ harvesting."
The chairman also said
the bill would provide a parental verification clause to make parents/guardians
criminally liable if they failed to verify where their children/wards were
being taken to.
According to her,
human trafficking is a multi-faceted problem which violates fundamental human
rights, increases global health risks, contributes to transnational organised
crime and undermines security and stability.
She expressed regrets
that in spite of concerted efforts, Nigeria had remained a source, transit and
destination country for women and children subjected to forced labour and sex
trafficking.
``In frightening
numbers, Nigerian women and girls are taken to other African countries, Europe,
the Middle East and Asia where they are exploited for domestic servitude and
forced prostitution.
``UNODC's 2012 Global
Report on Trafficking in persons noted that Nigerian victims were detected in
16 countries in Western and Central Europe where they accounted for 11 per cent
of all victims detected.
``Nigerian boys are
often trafficked for purposes of street vending, domestic service, mining,
stone quarries, agriculture and begging."
She renewed the
commitment of the committee to ensuring that the bill was passed
expeditiously.
Declaring the public
hearing opened, the Senate President, Mr David Mark, noted the need for
stakeholders to focus more on awareness, education, prevention, rescue and
restoration campaign.
Mark, who was
represented by Sen. Abu Ibrahim (CPC-Katsina), expressed regrets that human
traffickers had continuously changed their tactics and devised new means of
carrying out their nefarious acts.
``They have found new
ways in their unrelenting efforts to neutralise the measures put in place by
the government and other partners.
``This review is,
therefore, imperative to make the law more responsive and proactive to counter
emerging trends in human trafficking."
He said that it was
debilitating and traumatic for persons to be stripped of their dignity and
forced to work under extreme labour conditions for little or no pay.
Sen. Umaru Dahiru
(PDP-Sokoto), Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal
Matters had earlier said that trafficking in persons was a threat to
national security.
He said: ``trafficking
in persons denigrates human dignity and our collective common value system and
norms.
``Today's gathering
provides an opportunity for stakeholders to speak in one voice in the fight
against the menace of trafficking in persons by contributing towards
strengthening the legislation."
The chairman said it
was as a result of the NASS's commitment to putting an end to the menace of human
trafficking that a punitive regime was introduced into the proposed law.
He expressed optimism
that the bill would enjoy speedy passage. (NAN)
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