Abstract
Children are trafficked in Nigeria for various purposes which include prostitution, begging, hawking, rituals, etc and this has been on the raise, thereby posing a great challenge to the Nigeria Government despite numerous efforts put in place to fight the menace. The future of Nigerian children as young as 5 to 12 years is threatened by this monster called child trafficking. Although, poverty, greed, corruption, peer pressure have been traditionally identified as factors responsible for child trafficking in Nigeria, manipulation of religion through “Almajiri” ( traditional way of acquiring Islamic knowledge) have also been identified as factor playing very significant role in child trafficking in Northern Nigeria which has 90 percent of its population as Muslims. The population of the study constitute 300 selected parents in Ushongo LGA and staff of NAPTIP Benue state Chapter. The data were obtain with the aid of questionnaire, data obtain was analyzed with the aid of SPSS, from the analysis, it was found that child trafficking brings about total moral breakdown and breakdown peaceful marriage or homes.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
Child trafficking is an act of moving, transporting or recruiting a child from a familiar environment to an unfamiliar environment for exploitative gains. Many factors could be responsible for child trafficking in Northern Nigeria which include poverty, corruption greed, peer pressure, family size and break down and many other factors. The menace of child trafficking in Nigeria could be traced to 1980s when structural adjustment programm was introduced by the then government of Nigeria. Women and children were made bread winners of their family. Hence they were made to search for what they can sustain the family. Traffickers therefore took advantage of their vulnerability to lured them into trafficking despite the consequences of trafficking on the child. Human trafficking as a concept and practice is as dated as the literature on it. Such literature tends to problematize human trafficking broadly from a human rights lens and assumes a marked critique of stakeholders involved in it and governments with weak policies that feed it (Laczko and Gramegna, 2003; Cullen-DuPont, 2009; Shelley, 2010; Wheaton et al., 2010; Farrell and De Vries, 2020). However important this phenomenon and problem is, human trafficking is currently a source of conflict intractability and a source through which violent extremist groups recruit vulnerable and helpless mercenaries (Hynes et al., 2018). Another dimension is the cultural and religious driver of human trafficking (De Liévana and Montáñez, 2015; Ikeora, 2016). This is hinged on the fact that certain cultural and religious practices permit the initiation and utilization of children to advance their ideologies. For instance, the alamajiris of Northern Nigeria, the mendiants of Mali and Senegal or the street children of The Gambia and Niger are organized cults of kids answerable to a master in whose hands and on whom their destiny and survival depends (Andrew and Lawrance, 2012; Gunther, 2021; NAPTIP, 2021). 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, harboring 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.
1.2 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 Nigeria, 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. Because people had fail to recognize the effect if would bring to the country.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study has one main objective that is sub-divided into general and specific objective; the general objective is to examine the socio-dynamics of child trafficking in Nigeria with emphasis on Ushongo LGA of Benue state; the specific objectives are:
- To examine the socio dynamics effect of child trafficking in Nigeria
- To examine if there is any significant relationship between poverty and child trafficking in Ushongo LGA of Benue state, Nigeria
- To examine the role of government in combatting child trafficking in Nigeria
- To proffer suggested solution to the identified problem
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
In order to find solutions to the problems raised earlier, the following research question were raised by the researcher.
- Is there any significant relationship between poverty and child trafficking in Ushongo LGA of Benue state, Nigeria?
- Is there any socio dynamics effect of child trafficking in Nigeria?
- Does government play any role in combatting child trafficking in Nigeria?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following research hypotheses where formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;
H0: there is no significant relationship between poverty and child trafficking in Ushongo LGA of Benue state, Nigeria
H1: there is a significant relationship between poverty and child trafficking in Ushongo LGA of Benue state, Nigeria
H0: There is no socio dynamics effect of child trafficking in Nigeria
H2: There is a socio dynamics effect of child trafficking in Nigeria
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will be of great importance, as it will provide necessary information on the causes, effects and remedies to child trafficking in Nigeria. This study would be relevant to every parent in the development of Nigeria children which affect every home directly or indirectly. Therefore studying and analyzing the press coverage on issues of children is sine qua non to the overall development of Nigeria because it would serve as an insight into the conditions in which our children find themselves today and a guide for preparing them for meaningful contribution to development of the society. The findings will advance the frontier of knowledge in the field of mass communication and serve as a repository of knowledge and also contribute to the available literature in the field of mass communication. Also, it will help National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related matters (NAPTIP), Government and other Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to assess how far the press has covered issues bothering on child trafficking. Finally, it will serve as a reference material for future researchers on the topic.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study covers the socio dynamics of child trafficking in Nigeria with emphasis on Ushongo LGA of Benue state, Nigeria. In the course of the study, there some factors that limit the scope of the study;
- a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
- b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
- c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Social dynamic
Social dynamics (or sociodynamics) is the study of the behavior of groups that results from the interactions of individual group members as well to the study of the relationship between individual interactions and group level behaviors.
Child trafficking
Child trafficking can be defined as any person under 18 who is illegally recruited, transported, transferred, harboured or received by threats, force, and coercion or inducing fear for the purpose of exploitation, either within or outside a country.
Trafficking
The act of buying or selling goods illegally: arms/drug trafficking. He was wanted on charges of trafficking in stolen property. The act of buying or selling people, or of making money from work they are forced to do, such as sex work: human/people trafficking
1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows
Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study