……Passes Human Trafficking Bill
SAN FRANCISCO, March 20, (THEWILL) – The Senate on Wednesday passed the Human Trafficking Bill with a prescription of a five-year jail term and a minimum of fine of N1million for anyone found guilty of human trafficking.
The Bill generally seeks to curtail human trafficking in the country. It was unanimously passed into law sequel to the adoption of the committee’s recommendations.
The Bill Titled: “A Bill for An Act to Repeal the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003,l seeks to enact the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act to provide measures against trafficking in the country, was passed by the Senate on Wednesday after a clause by clause consideration of the Bill.
In one of the recommendations of the bill, “Any person who procures or recruits any person to be subjected to prostitution or other forms of exploitation with himself, any person or persons, either in Nigeria or anywhere else, commits an offence and shall be liable to a conviction to imprisonment for a term of five years and to a fine of not less than N1,000,000.”
In section 16 of the repealed bill: “Any person who, having the custody, charge or care of a person under the age of 18 years, sexually exploits or abuses the person or causes or encourages the exploitation of that person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for seven years and to a fine not less than N1,000,000.”
On the reduced jail term on the amended clause 22 of the bill, it stipulates that “Any person who permits any place or premises to be used for the purpose of forced labour, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and to a fine of not less than N1,000,000.”
On the issue of child labour, an offender risks a six months jail term. The section says “Any person who employs, requires, recruits, transports, harbours, receives or hires out, a child under the age of 12 years as a domestic worker, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a minimum term of six months and not exceeding seven years. (b) employs, requires, recruits, transports, harbours, receives or hires out, a child to do any work that is exploitative, injurious or harzardous to the physical, social and psychological development of the child, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a minimum term of two years but not exceeding seven years without an option of fine.”
Speaking to Senate Correspondents immediately after plenary, Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Senator Phillip Aduda, said the two-year jail term provided by the former Act was not stringent enough for such a crime as grievous as human trafficking.
He said: “If you look at the cases of the various baby making factories in some parts of the country like Enugu and Kogi, you will be shocked that some people will just keep women, get them pregnant and sell the babies. Apart from that, child trafficking and indeed trafficking is something very serious.
“In the world over, it is being taken very seriously. This is a form of slavery which should not happen in modern day Nigeria and indeed in the world.
“For somebody to buy a ticket of N100, 000 or N1million just to traffic somebody tells you that it is a very costly venture. As such those who are caught doing it should be made to be pay very serious money and the penalty should be stiffer.
“If for instance you ask someone to pay just N250, 000 for trafficking, it is too cheap because the person may just pay easily. It is the same thing when you say two years in jail. The person may just look at it and agree because he is sure to be out in just two years. But if you put the penalty and they are very stiff, people will be discouraged. They will think of the implications of spending five years in jail and they won’t do it. To my mind, the penalty we have given are stiff enough. That is not less than five years or N1 million depending on the discretion of the judge.”
EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
