Students’ Perception of Human Trafficking Among Youths in Ogun State

Students’ Perception of Human Trafficking Among Youths in Ogun State

Olawale Oyemade OYEKANMI(Ph.D)¹ , Olayemi Nofisat TAIWO¹ & Gbadegesin Saliu SHITTU²

¹School of Arts and Social Sciences, Tai-Solarin College of Education, Omu- Ijebu, Ogun State, Nigeria.

²Lagos State University of Education, Otto- Ijanikin, Lagos State, Nigeria.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.807034

Received: 26 April 2024; Accepted: 09 May 2024; Published: 30 July 2024

ABSTRACT

In this study, descriptive research design was adopted which is both qualitative and quantitative. Population in the study comprised Nigerian youth populace, respondents in the study were one hundred and fifty (150) purposively selected youths. However, questionnaire was utilized to obtain quantitative data. The questionnaire titled “Students’ Perception of Human Trafficking among Youths Questionnaire (SPHTYQ) was used. It has two parts. Part “A”- Bio data and part B Structured questions, 4 Linker obtained using Pilot study carried out ensure the validity of the instruments. Pearson Correlation Coefficient determines the reliability of the instrument and co-efficient value of 0.68 obtained, which indicated that instrument was relatively reliable. It was suggested that current government should launch aggressive and long-lasting public awareness on human corners of state. This would significantly lessen the rise of human trafficking in Ijebu – Ode Metropolis, Ogun State.

Keywords: Human trafficking, Slavery, Sexual exploitation, Illegal, Poverty, Prostitution.

INTRODUCTION

Human trafficking was said to be a crime against humanity, which is the act of enlisting, procuring, transferring, harbouring, or receiving a person with the goal of abusing them via the use of force, compulsion, or other methods. Thousands of men, women, and children fall victim to human traffickers each year, both domestically and overseas. Every nation on earth is impacted by trafficking, whether it is the victim’s place of origin, point of transit, or final destination. The UNODC supports States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in People as the keeper of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto (Trafficking in Persons Protocol) (UNODC, 2023). Human trafficking is a fact that still exists in our society today. Across the world, there is a severe issue called human trafficking. In parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and South America, it has developed into a highly explosive growth rate that has hit its peak and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. It’s crucial to stress that the surge in human trafficking instances in Nigeria is due to the persistent efforts of the business’s operators and profiteers, who use the country’s extreme poverty and dearth of basic requirements as their motivation.

Ibrahim and Omoregbe (2022), said that human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, which involved illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain and is a $150 billion global industry. Two-thirds ($99 billion) of this total is the consequence of commercial sexual exploitation, while another $51 billion come from forced economic exploitation, which includes domestic labour, agriculture, and other forms of employment. Supra. According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the typical woman trafficked for forced sexual slavery or exploitation makes $100,000 per year in earnings. This represents a 100% to 1,000% return on investment. United Nations estimated that the smuggling route from East, North, and West Africa to Europe makes $150 million in profits annually and $35 billion globally. Edeko (2011), the primary perpetrators of human trafficking include recruiters, transporters, receivers, pimps, brothel owners, dishonest border guards, and creators of fraudulent papers. Each of these individuals profits as the trafficked individuals travel through their links. The trafficker can be a member of the extended family, have connections to the family core, or be well-known in the neighborhood. They are also the local traffickers referred to as “trolley,””dagos,” or “brothers.” Italian madams are prominent among traffickers. The Madam has a male companion, business partners, or helper who is frequently referred to as the “madam’s boy,””madam’s black boy,””black boy,” or “maman boy.”

United Nations defined human trafficking as having three elements. First, the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring, or receiving a person into slavery is known as human trafficking. Second, human trafficking involves the use of coercive or violent methods, threats, kidnapping, fraud, or deceit. Third, exploitation is a motive behind human trafficking. 1 Victims of human trafficking can be of any age, race, sex, or socioeconomic standing. 2 Victims could feel compelled to perform non-consensual services or agreements, such as forced marriage, domestic slavery, or sex (Dols, Beckmann-Mendez, McDow, Walker and Moon, 2019). It should be noted that many people believe that recessions or poor economic conditions in Nigeria in the 1980s were the direct cause of the structural adjustment programs, which consequently increased poverty among a significant portion of the population. These socioeconomic and sociocultural factors, along with others like the breakdown of the extended family system, gender inequality, child foster care, high fertility and population growth, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the erosion of societal values, among others, appear to be the cause of human trafficking in Edo state and, indirectly, throughout Nigeria. This study focused on human trafficking among youth of Ijebu Ode, Ogun state, Nigeria, with the goal of determining the causes and effects of this issue and suggesting solutions given how it has affected the development of the state and the country as a whole.

Statement of the problem

Trafficking in human being is enormous global threat with negative illicit enterprise and one of the difficulties in doing research.  It is challenging to do contemporary, generalizable research on human trafficking because of its covert, elusive character.  Notwithstanding the difficulties, there is an urgent need for further knowledge about human trafficking on health.US Secretary of State particularly advised improved screening of vulnerable groups for human trafficking in the 2018 Report on Trafficking in People.  Human trafficking research has been actively pursued in recent years in an effort to develop evidence-based healthcare practices, raise awareness, and motivate action to find and protect victims (Dols et al., 2019).  This paper raises concerns for the growing pace of our economy and  the threat to shorten people’s lives globally, as a damaged to the country’s prestige. Due to people leaving their homes in pursuit of work and money, human trafficking has proliferated, especially in Ogun state. This has caused the state to be undeveloped. The goal is to examine the direct causes or effects of human trafficking on young people.

Purpose of the Study

Specifically, objectives  is to evaluate effect of human trafficking among youth in society, Ogun state as a case study.

1. Examine the numerous forms of human trafficking in Nigeria, especially Ogun state.
2. Examine the effects of human trafficking in Ogun state, particularly Ijebu Ode
3. Examine the causes of human trafficking and proffer solutions to the effects and causes of human trafficking.

 Research Questions 

The following research questions were developed in order to address  highlighted objectives.

1. What are the types of human trafficking in Nigeria?
2. What are the effects and causes of human trafficking?
3. How can the problem of human trafficking be solved?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Demand Theory

According to Hughes (2004), the demand for prostitutes may be divided into three groups: those who use or buy sex, those who make money by selling sex, and those who have sociocultural views on sex. Users or purchasers are those who pay prostitutes for a sexual service; pimps and brothel owners are people who make money by selling sex; and according to Hughes (2004), media and academic reporting and writing on prostitutes are a part of socio-cultural views regarding sex. Involuntary prostitution of young women and girls may be facilitated by the motivations behind hiring or owning prostitutes and the way authors portray sex services. In order to explain the rising demand for prostitutes, this study has highlighted three factors: the consumers of sex, societal attitudes linked with prostitution, and violence against women. These facts suggest that a particular group of prostitute consumers may not necessarily distinguish between imprisoned and volunteer prostitutes but may be more interested with getting sex from sex workers (Lutya, 2009).

Concept of Human Trafficking

According to international law, human trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, by abduction, by fraud or deception, by abuse of power or a position of vulnerability, or by the giving or receiving of payments of benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” (Letitia &Yvonne, 2014). Using people for prostitution or other kinds of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or acts that are comparable to slavery, servitude, or organ harvesting are all considered to be types of exploitation (United Nations 2000).

The concept of human trafficking includes three components which are:

1. Act: Recruiting, moving, transferring, harboring, and accepting people.
2. Means using threats of force, coercion, kidnapping, fraud, deceit, or exploitation of a person’s weakness or authority.
3. Purpose: Exploitation, which includes child abuse, forced labor, forced sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery-like activities, organ harvesting, forced prostitution of others, and other forms of exploitation.

In other words, the term “human trafficking” refers to a range of methods by which people are forced into servitude, unable to escape a position without fear of violence, and receiving no or little compensation for any length of time (Chia, 2019). Human trafficking occurs in three stages:

1. Recruitment at the point of origin, which frequently involves coercion or abduction;
2. Transfer of victims to a final destination, which may involve crossing international borders or moving internally within the same country;
3. Exploitation of the victims. Forced commercial sex and labor, including domestic slavery, are the most common kinds of exploitation, but victims are also trafficked for forced marriages, organ harvesting, and ritual executions.

Human Trafficking in Nigeria

Human trafficking is not a recent phenomenon. Although it has existed for a long time in a variety of forms, the globalization setting has given it startling new dimensions. It is a complicated, multifaceted phenomena with several institutional and commercial partners. It is a demand-driven worldwide industry with a sizable market for inexpensive labor and commercial sex that frequently encounters inadequate or underutilized legal frameworks or educated employees to stop it. Nigeria has developed a reputation as one of the top African nations for both internal and cross-border people trafficking (Chia, 2019).

According to all accounts, Nigeria serves as the source, the conduit, and the final destination for human trafficking (Mashil, 2005). Both internal and cross-border trafficking are part of the dynamics of human trafficking in Nigeria, which are very geographical in character. The syndicates who arrange travel documents, transportation costs, and lodging for women and girls who are yearning to leave the nation in quest of better lives in Europe, America, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa show the cross-border backdrop of human trafficking in Nigeria. The traffickers are able to effortlessly prey on these defenseless women and girls. Because of the depreciation of the Naira and the humiliating effects of poverty in the nation, the pull of finding a good job overseas and earning a large salary becomes inescapably alluring.

It was revealed in an assessment on human trafficking and migration to Europe that 170,100 migrants landed in Italy by water in 2014 as opposed to 141,484 who were transported over the Mediterranean water from Libya in 2013. The migrants came from Syria (42,323), Eritrea (34,329), Mali (9,908), Nigeria (9,000), the Gambia (8,691), Somalia (5,756), and some other countries (4,095).Ojugbana (2015) as cited by Chia, (2019), 64, 625 migrants are reported to have requested refuge. In the instance of Nigeria, most of the migrants were conned by syndicates into traveling to Europe or Asia in search of a better life, which led to their being victims of human trafficking. As a result, human trafficking is a complicated subject that affects a large number of individuals on a family, neighborhood, border, and/or global scale.

Similar to this perspective, Oloko (2006), who was cited in Okpalakunne, stated that human trafficking is the recruitment and movement of individuals on a national and international scale for the purpose of providing cheap, manipulatable, and exploitable labor for domestic and agricultural work, commercial sex work or prostitution, begging, unregulated industrial work, and street trading. Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to the south and south-south are known for their strong participation in people trafficking. For instance, it is known that hundreds of kids were transported from the Igbo land, Akwa-Ibom, and Cross River states to Lagos, the Benin Republic, Togo, and Gabon in order to force them to work as youngsters, which is equivalent to child slavery. The Akwa-Ibom State government was so concerned about the high prevalence of child trafficking that in 2004 it outlawed all forms of trafficking in children from the state to other parts of the country to serve as house-helps or cheap labor of any form. Moreso, Njoku (2015), the government promised to “deal severely with parents who persist in supporting child trafficking.

Furthermore, child trafficking occurs in the Western region of the nation with the intention of exploiting the children as cheap labor for household chores and agricultural production, particularly cocoa and rubber farms. According to Nwakamma (2004), child enslavement occurs in the hamlet of Asewele in the Ondo State. He said that both boys and females were sold across the border for a price of roughly N25, 000.00 apiece, and there were always potential customers. Additionally, he pointed out that despite the efforts of the police and immigration authorities, child trafficking is still a problem at Nigeria’s borders.There were syndicates that specialized in finding and supporting young women to travel to Europe, particularly Italy, Amsterdam, and Belgium for prostitution, in Benin City, the capital of Edo State. According to Taire (2004), issue of Nigerian women generally, and women from Benin city and its surrounds in particular, traveling to Europe to engage as commercial sex workers has grown significantly more serious since 2000. In a same vein, THIS DAY (May 3, 2004) reported that human trafficking in Benin City was a well-organized and lucrative business. The newspaper said that although it was difficult to estimate the number of women sent abroad each year, “everyone in Benin-city knows who has gone.” The girls were recruited by neighborhood sponsors, who “pay up-front for transportation, and the girls therefore start out with thousands of dollars in debt,” according to the newspaper.

The pervasive nature of poverty in society, especially at the family level, the terrifying issue of youth unemployment, and the ignorance of potential victims of human trafficking about their treatment abroad are the main causes of the ugly phenomenon of human trafficking’s persistence in Nigeria. The abuse of the conventional method of child-fostering and the get-rich-quick syndrome in modern Nigerian society are some additional causes. Bad leadership that has failed to improve the welfare of the citizens has led to widespread disillusionment and the urge for many citizens to leave the country in search of better living conditions in other countries. The pressures of urban migration have also increased the need for housekeepers, which has led to an increase in internal trafficking of young children who are sometimes forced into labor that resembles slavery (Chia, 2019).

Causes of Human Trafficking

No one can pinpoint the precise start date of human trafficking; however, it can be argued that the problem grew more prevalent in the early 1990s when advanced fee fraud (419) and drug trafficking became widespread. Muhammed (2004), said human trafficking, particularly of women, started as a straightforward method utilized by families in need of relief from severe economic troubles following the oil glut that Nigerian authorities took advantage of between the 1980s and 1990s. Since over 45 percent of the population of the country lives below the poverty line, according to Mohammed (2004) citing the World Bank (1995), a number of factors, including poverty, level of ignorance, and family size, among others, account for why human trafficking became so common. The situation has gotten worse in 21st century. This makes most families vulnerable to human trafficking (Ibrahim & Omoregbe, 2020).

There are several studies that try to explain why specific types of people are targeted by trafficking. Awogbenle &Iwuamadi (2010) as cited by Aghahiusi &Ukhurebor (2022), poverty, unemployment, and inadequate educational attainment are the socio-economic variables influencing people, especially women and girls, which results in their vulnerability and subsequent trafficking. (UNAFRI, 2007, Okojie, Eghafona, Vincent-Osaghae & Kalu, 2003) also highlighted the effects of the “get rich quick” syndrome and deception on potential victims of trafficking as well as the effects of large families on family members that led to their vulnerability and subsequent trafficking. They said that many people who grew up in large families go uncared for since their parents often lack the money to provide for them. As a result, they are more open to being taken advantage of by traffickers (Aghahiusi & Ukhurebor, 2022).

Research on the root causes of human trafficking in Edo State was done by Emenyonu (2009). The goal was to identify the causes of trafficking and suggest solutions for the issue in Edo State. The study employed a survey research design. All of the personnel of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Edo State made up the study’s population. The research included every member of the population. A questionnaire was used to obtain the data. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages) were used during the analysis. The findings indicated that high levels of poverty in Nigeria, a high unemployment rate, a great desire among young people to immigrate to other countries, and a lack of education were the primary reasons of trafficking in persons (TIPs). It was suggested that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) be given more authority and given instructions to work with the government to fight TIPs in the State (Aghahiusi & Ukhurebor, 2022).

Ogbodo (2011) got interested in determining whether human trafficking was on the decline in Edo State while doing similar research. A sample of 52 NAPTIP officials was used in the study, which used a survey research design with a total population of 72. A free-form questionnaire named “Incidence of Human Trafficking Questionnaire” was the tool used to collect the data. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics. The findings showed that the State has a high incidence of TIPs. It was suggested that young people who would otherwise still be trafficked for exploitation because they lacked means of assistance (empowerment) and vocational training (Aghahiusi & Ukhurebor, 2022).

In addition to being poor, many victims of human trafficking overseas, especially women and girls, are unaware of what destiny awaits them in the nation of their destination. Due to the fact that many women and girls in this circumstance had little to no formal education, they were readily seduced by the positive portrayal of their sponsors’ life. Some academics have linked the size of families to trafficking. Adolescents seek solace outside the home, making them susceptible to the strategies of traffickers, especially among Africans and Nigerians with a high concentration of polygamous families for the purpose of egalitarian settlements in the villages and slums where means of subsistence have become difficult (Rotimi, 2001).

The amount of poor leadership and corruption that has caused a rise in unemployment in Nigeria is one of the main causes of human trafficking. When men and women realized that labor and prostitution would be lucrative in Europe and other Western countries, they made the decision to move for employment or sex. The inference is that individuals decide to work in wealthier nations in an effort to better their financial circumstances in Nigeria, where the country’s economic status appears dismal. The second rationale was that while there are many work options for male migrants in Europe and North America, women migrants who are unable to find employment frequently turn to prostitution as a last resort Ibrahim &Omoregbe, 2020).

Conflicts are another factor that contributes to people trafficking. According to a World Bank report, more than 1.5 billion people reside in violently disturbed nations. Poverty, migration, and trafficking are all pushed by conflict. Boko Haram trafficked minors and exploited them as militia members and soldiers in a volatile region of Nigeria. Young girls were abducted, sold as slaves, and then forced into marriage (Anti-trafficking Alliance, 2017).It is significant to highlight that the common habit of entrusting kids to wealthier friends or relatives may lead to both vulnerability in Nigeria and be one of the driving forces behind human trafficking. This practice involves “giving” children away, frequently in return for money, with the intention of giving youngsters greater opportunity to escape chronic poverty and access a better life. When abused, these customs can provide traffickers with a sizable windfall (Osumah&Enbunane 2012; Osuigwe 2017).

Human Trafficking’s Effects on the Nation’s Image.

One of the most obvious repercussions of human trafficking is a negative worldwide reputation. There have been unprintable stories that paint a very negative picture of Nigeria due to the great degree and alarming rate of human trafficking that Nigerians are engaging in both domestically and globally. The false perception that the nation cannot support its people, particularly in terms of employment and social welfare, is the reason for the migration of her young, able-bodied residents to other nations (Chia, 2019).

Nigerians are stigmatized as promiscuous and people of low morals who will do anything to make a living, including sleeping with dogs and monkeys, and as a result, our people are treated with contempt and like animals. This is due to the rise of young prostitutes of Nigerian origin who are allegedly frequently seen in sex parlors and streets of some European countries (Italy, Holland, etc.) soliciting for male clients. Such stories have a tendency to harm our reputation within the world community and provide a very negative picture of us. Every Nigerian is now a suspect everywhere they go as a result. As a result, we must abide by strict immigration regulations, and in certain instances, the most cutting-edge security technology is employed to screen us at various international crossings and embassies (Chia, 2019).

Nigeria is inaccurately depicted in the human trafficking dilemma as a nation that is experiencing both political and economic issues. This is true even though the nation just had free, fair, credible, and peaceful general elections and is working to raise the socioeconomic standing of its population. As a result, human trafficking distorts the perception of the nation (Njoke, 2015).     It hinders the government’s attempts to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Education for All. A large number of child trafficking victims are denied the chance to pursue formal schooling. Furthermore, according to Ezinma (2010), approximately 12 million Nigerian children are forced into child labor and more are at risk of doing so. The prevention and elimination of the worst forms of child labor (WFCL) in Nigeria remain a fantasy, he claimed in his study, despite the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor’s (IPEC) goal having been achieved many years ago. This raises questions about the nation’s commitment to ending child labor, which is similar to child slavery. The country is deprived of the highly trained labor necessary for rapid national growth due to human trafficking. It has a brain drain effect. Ibekwe (2010) provided the following succinct summary of the detrimental impacts of brain drain on developing nations, including Nigeria.

Brain drain in developing nations has financial, institutional, and social costs, including low returns on investments in higher education, growing reliance on foreign expertise due to a shrinking professional sector, decreasing ability of several developing nations to provide basic healthcare services to their citizens, widening the science and technology gap between richer and poorer countries, a dwindling middle class population, a failing tax system, and disappearance of the middle class (Ibekwe, 2010).Human trafficking has been identified as the world’s fastest-growing criminal sector, according to Mba (2017). With an estimated 32 billion dollars in yearly profits for the criminals, it is tied with the illegal arms trade as the second greatest source of money. Investment in education, social orientation through NAPTIP, government, and nongovernmental organizations sensitizing rural residents, who are the most vulnerable group, conflict resolution, proper monitoring of people moving across borders, use of social media to report cases of human trafficking, and other strategies are suggested by Mba (2017) as ways to end human trafficking in Nigeria.

Identification of those in economic need, undocumented migrants, children from dysfunctional families, people who are marginalized, and people with mental illnesses are among the ways to eradicate or at least reduce the high incidence of human trafficking in Nigerian society. They were vulnerable to traffickers because of their desperate attempt to become rich quickly in life. The anti-trafficking organizations of member nations were urged to address these socioeconomic issues since they foster an atmosphere where trafficking operations might occur. In order to make victims at least comfortable, which will inevitably result in their resistance to trafficking, criminal justice and support should be put in place. Global poverty must also be addressed by international leaders (Kriftcher, 2019, United Nations, 2021).

Victimological Paradigm

Within the victimology paradigm, there are ideas that explain why certain women could be more vulnerable to victimization than others. Key elements identifying the victimization of human trafficking for forced prostitution include victim-offender contact, recurring victimization, and lifestyle as a factor in criminal victimization. Relationships and contacts with traffickers, lifestyle choices, and the number of times a woman has been trafficked all play a crucial role in the trafficking of women and girls for forced prostitution (Lutya, 2009).

Victim offender contact

Two factors—victim proneness and victim-offender interaction—explain why young women and girls are susceptible to being trafficked as slaves for forced prostitution by keeping a connection with a criminal. Victims who fall into one of three categories-innocent, precipitating, or provocative-could be subject to victimization. Some people can be perceived as hastening their own victimization by associating with criminals inadvertently through no fault of their own or by wandering alone in the dark. Some women and girls are also more vulnerable to victimization because they display specific behaviors that criminals can interpret as suggestive (Van den Hoven &Maree, 2005). According to Van den Hoven &Maree (2005), repeat victimization means that victims of crimes are likely to be victimized over a short period of time by either various offenders or the same attacker. Van den Hoven &Maree (2005) make the observation that victimization that occurs repeatedly is likely to result in a cycle of violence. By imitating or modeling the behaviors and activities that human traffickers committed against them, victims are likely to develop become abusers themselves and lure other women and girls into forced prostitution.

Life style as a factor in criminal victimization

The lifestyle risk model states that the personality of the potential victim, the lack of a capable guardian, the environment in which the potential victim resides, and the daily routine activities that occupy the potential victim’s time all affect the risk of victimizations (Van den Hoven and Maree, 2005). The lifestyle behaviors in which a potential victim partakes affect the kind of victimization they may encounter, claim Van den Hoven and Maree (2005). For instance, substance abuse may encourage interpersonal violence, while internet use exposes kids to inappropriate social networks and involvement in activities favored by deviant groups puts unwary potential victims in danger (Van Den Hoven & Maree, 2005).

Aghahiusi&Ukhurebor (2022), investigated the causes, effects and remedies of human trafficking in Benin metropolis of Edo State with particular focused on  trafficking in young girls and women outside the shores of Nigeria for sexual exploitation and how human trafficking has impacted on the development of Nigeria. Using a qualitative research method, the study established socio-economic and socio-cultural factors as the main factors affecting victims of human trafficking which makes young girls and women vulnerable to trafficking. Emenyonu (2009), conducted a study to determine the factors responsible for trafficking and ways of tackling the problem in Edo State. Using a survey research design, the results showed that the main causes of Trafficking in Persons (TIPs) were high level of poverty in Nigeria, high rate of unemployment, strong desire of youths to migrate to foreign land and low level of education.

Poverty, unemployment and inadequate educational attainment are the socio-economic factors affecting individuals especially the women and girls which leads to their vulnerability and consequent trafficking according to Awogbenle &Iwuamadi, 2010 (as cited in Chia, 2019). Chia (2019) examined a moral appraisal of human trafficking in Nigeria and its effects on the national image. The study attempts to articulate the effects of the illicit business on Nigeria national image. The study found that the major reasons for the persistence of the ugly phenomenon of human trafficking in Nigeria include pervasive poverty, unemployment, greed etc. for the purpose of forced labour, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and rituals. Ibrahim and Omoregbe (2020) investigated the causes of human trafficking and efforts by Nigeria government to curb it. The study highlights poverty, bad leadership, corruption and cultural practices as some of the causes of TIP; and identified the consequences of the menace as poor economic and human advancement and low life esteem. While government efforts in preventing this crime like setting up agencies to investigate, prosecute offenders and rehabilitate victim seemed unproductive.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

In this study, descriptive research design was adopted which is both qualitative and quantitative. Population in the study comprised Nigerian youth populace, respondents in the study were one hundred and fifty (150) purposively selected youths. However, questionnaire was utilized to obtain quantitative data. The questionnaire titled “Students’ Perception of Human Trafficking among Youths Questionnaire (SPHTYQ) was used. It has two parts. Part “A”- Bio data and part B Structured questions, 4 Linker obtained using Pilot study carried out ensure the validity of the instruments. Pearson Correlation Coefficient determine the reliability of the instrument and co-efficient value of 0.68 obtained, which indicated that instrument was relatively reliable. It was suggested that current government should launch aggressive and long-lasting public awareness on human corners of state. This would significantly lessen the rise of human trafficking in Ijebu – Ode Metropolis, Ogun State.

RESULTS

Demographic Data Analyses

Frequency counts and percentages of demographic data are taken and presented in table 1 to 4.

Table 1: Frequency Count and Percentage of Participates’ Gender

Results in table 1 indicates that out of the 149 participants in the study, 56 (37.6%) are male while 93 (62.4%) are females.

Table 2: Frequency Count and Percentage of Participants’ Age

Results in table 2 indicates that out of the 149 participants in the study, 53 (35.6%) are below 20 years old, 81 (54.4%) are 26-30 years while 15 (10.0%) are 30 years and above.

Table 3: Frequency Count and Percentage of Participants’ Qualification

Results in table 3 indicates that out of the 149 participants in the study, 30 (20.1%) hold WASSCE/SSCE, 25 (16.8%) hold NCE, 89 (59.7%) hold B.Sc./B.Ed. while 5 (3.4%) hold M.Sc./Ph.D.

Analyses of Research Questions

This section contains the presentation of results on the four questions formulated for the study. The four questions are analysed using grand mean and correlation matrix analyses. The results obtained are presented below:

Research Question One: What is the students’ perception of the various types of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Table 4: Mean of students’ perception on the various types of human trafficking in Nigeria

Table 4 revealed the perception of respondents on the various types of human trafficking in Nigeria which indicated that all the items had mean values greater than the critical value. Also, item 5 which states, “Forcing someone to engage in petty crimes is also a form of human trafficking.” had the highest perception while item 2 which states, “Human trafficking also involves in form of involuntary domestic servitude and forced labour” had the least perception. The grand mean value of 3.98 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. Hence, it was concluded that: Human trafficking involves sex exploitation (prostitution), involuntary domestic servitude and forced labour, street hawking, abduction of humans and forcing someone to engage in petty crimes.

Research Question Two: What is the students’ perception effects of human trafficking?

Table 5: Mean students’ perceptions on the effect of human trafficking in Nigeria

Table 5 revealed students’ perception on the effect of human trafficking in Nigeria. Result indicated that all the items had mean values greater than the critical value. Also, item 1 which states, “Human trafficking negatively affects the nations’ image and create wrong impression of the country” had the highest perception while item 4 which states, “Human trafficking exposes some Nigerian citizens to all forms of inhuman treatment in foreign countries like physical assault, rape” had the lowest perception. The grand mean value of 3.66 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. Hence, it was concluded that: Human trafficking affects the country image, frustrate government’s effort toward achieving economic development, deprives the country of skilled man power and exposed citizens to inhuman treatment and physical abuse.

Research Question Three: What are the causes of human trafficking?

Table 6: Mean Perceptions on the causes of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Table 6 revealed the perception of respondents on causes of human trafficking in Nigeria which indicated that all the items had mean values greater than the critical value. Also, item 5 which states, “A great desire among youth to immigrate to other countries makes them engage in human trafficking” had the highest perception while item 4 which states, “Growing up in a large family and been uncared for makes someone engage in human trafficking” had the least perception The grand mean value of 4.08 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. Hence, it was concluded that: Poverty, high level of ignorance, unemployment, get rich syndrome and large family, been uncared for and a great desire among youth to immigrate to other countries are the major causes of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Research Question Four: How can the problem of human trafficking be solved?

Table 7: Mean Perceptions on the solution to the problems of human trafficking in Nigeria.

Table 7 revealed the perception of respondents on the solution to problem of human trafficking in Nigeria which indicated that all the items had mean values greater than the critical value. Also, item 3 which states, “Proper monitoring of people moving across borders will help to curb human trafficking” had the highest perception while item 4 which states, “Use of social media to report cases of human trafficking will also reduce the spread of human trafficking” had the lowest perception. The grand mean value of 3.85 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. Hence, it was concluded that: Sensitizing rural residents, conflict resolution, proper monitoring of people moving in and out of the country, uses of social media in reporting cases of human trafficking and creation of more jobs are the major solutions to problem of human trafficking in Nigeria.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

From the result obtained, item 5 which states, “Forcing someone to engage in petty crimes is also a form of human trafficking.” had the highest perception while item 2 states that, “Human trafficking also involves in form of involuntary domestic servitude and forced labour” had the least perception. Human trafficking involves sex exploitation (prostitution), involuntary domestic servitude and forced labour, street hawking, abduction of humans and forcing someone to engage in petty crimes.

The result of this study is supported with the findings of Letitia &Yvonne, (2014) who said human trafficking in international law as “the recruitment,transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threator use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, ofthe abuse of power or a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving ofpayments of benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control overanother person, for the purpose of exploitation.” The result of the study is also in conformity with the findings of Chia (2018) who asserted that some Nigerian nationals may be subject to any kind of cruel treatment abroad as a result of human trafficking. These include bodily harm, rape, confinement, and in very severe situations, execution. A large number of Nigerians are also reportedly incarcerated in certain nations across the globe as a result of the misadventures related to human trafficking. The victims of trafficking can endure other sorts of verbal and physical abuse. According to Yukoshko (2009), victims are more likely to feel fear, guilt, a sense of betrayal, lack of trust, suspicion, and sense of apathy, shame, withdrawal, and resignation to fate, hopelessness, and an extreme form of submissiveness, maladaptation, and a loss of personal autonomy, initiative, and integrity. The report also mentions that victims are more prone to use drugs, injure themselves, and even kill themselves.

From the result obtained, item 1 which states, “Human trafficking negatively affects the nations’ image and create wrong impression of the country” had the highest perception while item 4 which states, “Human trafficking exposes some Nigerian citizens to all forms of inhuman treatment in foreign countries like physical assault, rape” had the lowest perception. The grand mean value of 3.66 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. hence, it was concluded that: Human trafficking affects the country image, frustrate government’s effort toward achieving economic development, deprives the country of skilled man power and exposed citizens to inhuman treatment and physical abuse.

This result corroborate  Njoku (2015) who asserted that human trafficking has negative effects on Nigeria’s image and has necessitated the establishment of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) by federal government, and in collaboration with some organizations to stem the tide. But the ugly phenomenon still persists. Human trafficking creates impression that the country is incapable of providing for the comfort of her citizens, especially the vibrant youths who seek for favorable economic opportunities and comfortable social life. It also debases Nigerian womanhood as many Nigerian girls are allegedly involved in underground sex industry in Europe. Besides, the deportation of many Nigerian citizens from foreign countries casts aspersion on the country’s national character. Human trafficking also frustrates the effort towards achieving the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially with respect to education as many Nigerian children engage in child labour within and outside the country without prospect of benefiting from formal education. Moreover, brain drain which is a dimension of human trafficking deprives Nigeria of the services of her indigenous experts necessary for rapid national development.

 From the result obtained, item 3 states that, “Proper monitoring of people moving across borders will help to curb human trafficking” had the highest perception while item 4 which states, “Use of social media to report cases of human trafficking will also reduce the spread of human trafficking” had the lowest perception. The grand mean value of 3.85 was greater than the critical value of 3.00. Hence, it was concluded that: Sensitizing rural residents, conflict resolution, proper monitoring of people moving in and out of the country, use of social media to report cases of human trafficking and creation of more jobs are the major solutions to the problem of human trafficking in Nigeria.The result is in line with the recommendation of Aghahiusi &Ukhurebor (2022) whose study recommended that the government of Ogun State and Nigeria byextension should make serious effortstowards addressing poverty inthe land by embarking upon massive job creation, aggressive andsustainable public enlightenment and education campaigns, as wellas empowerment of the jobless and vulnerablepersons in the society.

CONCLUSION

As a result of the field analysis, the following conclusion were made; Human trafficking in Nigeria involves sex exploitation (prostitution), involuntary domestic servitude and forced labour, street hawking, abduction of humans and forcing someone to engage in petty crimes, Human trafficking affects the country image, frustrate governments effort toward achieving economic development, deprives the country of skilled man power and exposed citizens to inhuman treatment and physical abuse, Poverty, high level of ignorance, unemployment, get rich syndrome and large family, been uncared for and a great desire among youth to immigrate to other countries are the major causes of human trafficking in Nigeria, Sensitizing rural residents, conflict resolution, proper monitoring of people moving in and out of the country, use of social media to report cases of human trafficking and creation of more jobs are the major.

Many ofdesperate Nigerians who arrived at their destinations found themselves doing insecure occupations similar to slave labour, prostitution, or criminality. Some of the desperate Nigerians who set out on the trek could not reach their destinations owing to connected dangers. The development of NAPTIP and cooperation with certain foreign organizations were necessary to stem the tide and improve the country’s reputation as a result of this. Despite the federal government’s strenuous efforts, the menace of human trafficking still exists in this nation. In fact, it has grown to be a part of the larger issue of illegal immigration, which now affects worldwide, mostly poses a danger to Europe’s social stability.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Having seen effect and identified the problem posed by the neglects of human beings in Nigeria, it becomes necessary to offer some recommendations that will be useful in solving the problem, needs do the following:

1. it has been established that there is a significant correlation of human trafficking and socio-economic factors like poverty, unemployment, and a lack of educational opportunities, these factors were seen as the primary causes of trafficking in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole, it was advised that the government of Nigeria and Ogun State, in particular, should make serious efforts to reduce poverty in the country.
2. The government should pass laws against the discrimination against girls and make their education free in elementary and secondary school, according to another proposal derived from the study’s results which contribute lowering percentage,particularly in grades. Additionally, aid in lowering occurrence of female educated girls are seen to be better able to fend off being trafficked.
3. To win the battle against trafficking, it was also advised that the government provide appropriate funding for the organizations tasked with fighting it. These anti-trafficking organizations include NIS (Nigeria Immigration Service), OTAHT (OgunNAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons). In order for many non-governmental organizations to flourish effective battle against human traffickingsuch as GPI, COSUDOW, etc., it was advised that the government provide them with enough funding.
4. As a recommendation resulting from the study’s findings regarding the research question that touches on ideas or strategies to significantly lessen the scourge of human trafficking in the Ijebu Ode suggested current launch aggressive and long-lasting public awareness for human corners of state. This would significantly lessen the rise of human trafficking in the Ijebu Ode in Ogun indirectly..

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