HDI seeks to combat trafficking through law enforcement agencies and technology.
Human trafficking is a global crime which affects about 40.3 million people around the globe, while earning traffickers a minimum of $150 billion annually; this makes human trafficking one of the world’s most profitable crimes. Nigeria also has a part in this global crime, serving as an origin, transit, and destination country. Survivors of this terrible act narrated their stories of suffering from fellow humans, in pain and agony. Still, human traffickers do not cease to subject their victims to mental abuse, emotional and psychological trauma, and torture, through the use of technology – video recordings and pictures of victims’.
However, there is hope of the successful eradication of human trafficking through the same technology used by human traffickers. The success only depends solely on how effectively law enforcement agencies can properly include technology in their interventions, investigations, and modus operandi of trafficking networks. This act will effectively enhance prosecutions through concrete digital evidence, thereby alleviating the sufferings of survivors during the course of criminal proceedings and enabling the provision of support services for them.
FG should enact laws that prohibit technology misuse.
The Human Development Initiatives (HDI), in a bid to achieve a successful combat against human trafficking in Nigeria, stated that it will rely on the tactics by which law enforcement agencies such as National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), the criminal justice system, the Police, and other agencies can make use of technology in their interventions. This is the reason why HDI calls on the federal government to regulate the tech industry by enacting laws that prohibit technology misuse and promotion of human trafficking.-
The statement was made by the Executive Director of HDI, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, on Saturday, July 30th, 2022, during the marking of this year’s World Day Against Trafficking In Persons. This year’s theme has its focus on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking, and according to Owasanoye, the theme reveals how human traffickers manipulate technology to carry out their illegal trade of human trafficking by employing internet and digital platforms for the purpose of deception, exploitation, and manipulation of victims for trafficking.
Human traffickers recruit accomplices through social media.
Human traffickers deploy the use of technological platforms for the organization of transports and shelter, communications with victims and potential clients, and the establishment of intractable networks to proliferate their criminal activities. Among other things, technology has been greatly exploited to aid easy communication with other criminals and the hiding of criminal proceeds with swift speed, effectiveness, efficiency, and anonymity. Another deployed source is the use of digital platforms such as the use of social media platform.
Asides communicating with victims, clients and known perpetrators, human traffickers also get to train and recruit accomplices, through social media platforms, into the act of human trafficking. Their communication with victims is mostly done through the use of e-mails and other messaging services, coupled with deception (unreal photographic materials, assurance of fake employment, promises of a better life, and many more) which aids the easy advertisement of their job without quick suspicion of their actual intention.
Nigerians should protect survivors and prevent stigmatization.
Thus, HDI urges service providers, tech-based organizations, and telecommunications companies to develop measures and restrictions that will enable the prevention of the abuse of digital platforms as a means of human trafficking. The organization also expressed its determination and commitment towards fighting and eradicating human trafficking and all other allied anti-human ventures which include forced marriage, sexual slavery, organ harvesting, forced labor, buying and selling of humans, domestic servitude, and others. All Nigerians are urged by HDI to protect survivors, prevent stigmatization, and ensure access to justice and healthcare.
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Human trafficking is a major problem around the world. Nigeria is just one of the country affected by this criminal acts. The use of technology can be useful against this criminal organization and will be a good tool for prosecution to convict them.
It is quite appaling that Nigerians still engage in Human trafficking in this civilized society. What do you gain from depriving another individual of their dignity which is enshrined in the 1999 Nigeria constitution by virtue of Section 34. The use of technology to now carry out this inhumane act is very silly and barbaric. The government needs to curtail the excesses of these evil doers. People should also ensure that they don’t stigmatize the victims of human trafficking.
Nigerians and human trafficking are Siamese twin they always find way around it from child trafficking being used as sex slaves,maids and so on I hope there are stiffer punishment to deter others from doing it
Human trafficking is part of our major problem in nigeria child been use as slave, maid etc all this need to be stop. There are way to stop all this if normal protocol is taken if technology can help to stop it we should engage in it so serve justice for people is human trafficking is stopped
Nigeria also has a part in this global crime, nawa o, Nigeria is among all the crimes in the world. Nigeria is even serving as an origin. A lot of work need to be done. We need all the Technology required to eradicate human trafficking
Combating human traffickers with Tech they also use in exploiting people is a great idea to start with but for us to achieve such task in Nigeria we need to develop our Tech industry more with adequate and advanced technology.
Human trafficking is a major problem; not just in Nigeria. As much as there is hope of the successful eradication of human trafficking through technology. The success only depends solely on how effectively law enforcement agencies can properly include technology in their intervention.
Recently more people have been falling victim to the hand of these nefarious human traffickers. I hope these proposed notion works out in truncating the activities of the traffickers.
Human trafficking is a major problem.
The law enforcement agencies should work diligently and effectively. I’m not so sure about the proposed technology stuff.. 55% sha. The government needs to stop the operation of these traffickers!
Technology misuse can’t be eradicated, however, it can be controlled.
Human trafficking has become rampant this days, and the traffickers have stepped up their methods by employing different technological means.
The government should create a special agency that will be trained in combating human trafficking.
The government has to set down rules and regulations that will prevent people from using technology anyhow and punish them for misdeeds.
Human trafficking is too rampant in the country and this is sad I hope the government becomes better and put better security for us.
Activities of these human traffickers should be checked. If not the present situation of this country I believe no one will be easily deceived by this traffickers.Through human development initiative with should be able to fight it.
This act that the government wants to carry out would significantly increase prosecutions through concrete digital evidence, thereby relieving the sufferings of survivors during the course of criminal processes and enabling the provision of support services for those individuals.
Technology can help a lot to handle cases like human trafficking because with high advanced usage of technically instruments criminals will be identified easily
Human trafficking is one of the major crimes being commuted in Nigeria and the government really need to ensure it stops. This victims ends up suffering from the trauma of the event.
We rely on human development initiative to combat human traffickering in Nigeria. If not for the present situation of the country who will fall victims of such deception. We can always use technology along with enforcement agencies to our advantage to curb the activities of human traffickers.
People need to be careful not to stigmatise those who have been victims of human trafficking since doing so can be an experience that is even more upsetting for them than the actual incident that took place.
Victims of human trafficking should not be openly publicized, it will affect their mental health. The law enforcement agency need to double up so the rate of human trafficking can reduce
The government needs to double up on security because what we are experiencing now is not it at all, no one is is safe In this country.
If the law enforcement agency can do a better job I’m pretty sure the rate of human trafficking will reduce in no time. Victims should also learn to speak up when they are in that kind of situation.
Lots still need to be done in combating or eradicating human trafficking in Africa.The major cause of trafficking is poverty, people want better life in which the will be able to have access to good healthcare system,better education system and good food, nowadays most of the traffickers recruit their victim through social media with promise of greener pasture outside the country.All the agency responsible for the eradication should start do the right thing and government should do the right thing to better the life’s of their citizens.
Human trafficking is no new news in Nigeria and over the years nothing has been done to curb it. Hopefully this new movement will completely eradicate it.
To further their illicit business, human traffickers make use of various electronic platforms, such as those for the organising of transports and shelter, interactions with victims and potential clients, and the construction of untraceable networks.
Our security operatives needs to double their efforts in catching these criminals and the use of technological instruments can make it faster. Good one