The Senate plenary on Wednesday unanimously adopted a motion entitled “Urgent Need to Address the Prevalence of Modern Slavery in Nigeria” moved by Senator representing Kaduna Central, Malam Uba Sani and approved all the prayers sought.
According to Senator Uba Sani, the Senate plenary took a hard look at the existence of slave camps in the guise of correctional centers in Nigeria and resolved to collaborate with relevant government agencies to root them out in the interest of the nation’s children and collective dignity.
He pointed out that the National Bureau of Statistics states that 43% of Nigerian children between the ages of 5 and 17 years are engaged in child or forced labour; and about 1,384,000 people are enslaved in Nigeria which is more than the total number of all the other 16 West African countries when added together, which stands at 1,081,000 according to Global Slavery Index (GSI) 2018.
In adopting the motion, the Senate accordingly resolved among other prayers, to urge the newly formed Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other relevant Federal Government Agencies to intensify surveillance, embark on awareness creation with special focus on land, sea and air borders as a step towards curbing the prevalence of modern slavery.
The Senate also resolved to direct the Federal Ministry of Health to, as matter of urgency, provide medical support and all other support as may be necessary to the victims; and to urge the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to set-up State Task Forces to fight against Modern Slavery and child Trafficking in Kaduna State and replicate this across the whole country.
It also mandated the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigeria Police Force(NPF) and the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) to set up a joint Technical Team that will promote inter–agency cooperation, deepen synergy for effective intelligence sharing and see to the eradication of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and an end to child labour by 2030.
The Inspector General of Police was also directed to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) strictly adheres to the global best practices by discouraging media parade of victims of modern slavery so as to avoid stigmatization and violation of fundamental human rights of the victims.
In addition, the Senate resolved to increase budgetary allocation for the management of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to aid the agency in preventing and eliminating modern slavery in Nigeria.
It will be recalled that the Police busted a so-called rehabilitation centre in Rigasa, Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State where over 300 persons, including 77 children were found chained, with horrible scars on their bodies.
Since the Rigasa operation, similar centers have been discovered in Zaria, Ilorin and Ibadan.
“They were all emaciated, having gone through harrowing experiences in the hands of their handlers.
“The centers are sad reminders of the inglorious days of slavery. They are the height of man’s inhumanity to man,” the Senator lamented.
