The United States acting Deputy Chief of Mission in
Nigeria, Aruna Amirthanayagam, Monday in Abuja disclosed that estimated 24.9
million persons are trapped in modern-day slavery.
Amirthanayagam, who noted that the illicit art of
trading in humans is a very old business, said with the dimension slavery had
assumed in modern times, people "can no longer sit at the side-lines and
allow men and women, children and young adults to be exploited in your
communities and country."
He was speaking at a programme organised by the US
embassy in Abuja in collaboration with Devatop Centre to commemorate the 2018
World Day Against Human Trafficking.
The Deputy Chief of Mission in Nigeria advised
guest at the occasion to find out how they can get involved "so that we
can stand together and work to end human trafficking, if not in this
generation, at least in the next. Today is the day to make a difference."
He added: "We know the statistics. In a
September 2017 report ILO estimates that an estimated 24.9 million victims are
trapped in modern-day slavery. Of these, 16 million (64 percent) were exploited
for labour; 4.8 million (19percent) were sexually exploited while 4.1 million
(17 percent) were exploited in state-imposed forced labour.
"Forced labour takes place in many different
industries. Of the 16 million trafficking victims exploited for labour, 7.5
million (47 percent) forced labour victims work in construction, manufacturing,
mining or hospitality; 3.8 million (24 percent) forced labour victims are domestic
workers while 1.7 million (11 percent) forced labour victims work in agriculture
sector.”
The envoy who added that unlike the drug trade where
commodities can only be sold and used once, individual can be sold over and
over and over again in the human trafficking business, adding that while 71
percent of trafficking victims around the world are women and girls, 29 percent
are men and boys.
He noted that Asia-pacific region accounts for the
largest number of forced labourers with 15.4 million (62 percent of the global
total). Africa has 5.7 million (23 percent) followed by Europe and Central Asia
with 2.2 million (9 percent). The Americas account for 1.2 million (5 percent)
and the Arab states account for 1 percent of all victims.
Meanwhile, guest at the occasion, who were mainly
young students, urged the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in
Persons (NAPTIP) to change its strategy and redouble its efforts in combating
the menace of human trafficking, noting that incidents of trafficking has
continued to rise at a worrisome rate.
They suggested that the agency should emulate
Britain that recently published the name of a recent human trafficking convict
alongside the proceeds of crime, stressing that such name and shame method
would discourage others from the illicit business.
They also called on NAPTIP to put in place reliable
and secured instruments of getting information on suspected human traffickers
as well as protecting sources of such information.
Earlier, NAPTIP representative at the occasion and
a member of panel, Ebele Ulasi, disclosed that the agency over the years has
succeeded in convicting 375 persons while it is still prosecuting many other
human trafficking suspects.
Ulasi said apart from enlightenment campaign in
media communications, NAPTIP has been partnering schools, religious organisations
among others to sensitise on the dangers of human trafficking.
She called on Nigerians to join in the fight to
eradicate human trafficking in Nigeria by reporting suspected cases to NAPTIP
and other security agencies.
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