CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
    Trafficking of children is synonymous with exploitation child labour. By definition, child trafficking involves agents for the illegal movement of human beings for illicit commercial and business dealings. Based on current knowledge (Out, 2003), Nigeria is a major supplier, consumer and also a transit route for human trafficking. Million of children driven into different types of exploitative labour often become the most vulnerable groups (UNICEF, June 2002).
    In Nigeria and as in the other countries of the sub-region, there are strong demands for the girl-child as domestic house helps assisting couples to bring up their children for a fee (Odunda, 2002). Many of these children are also engaged as workers in the many bars, eateries and hotels in the major cities. For instance, Abuja child traffickers draw their victims from Kaduna, Benue and Kogi State. Many of these children “graduate” from these duties into prostitutes. According to Out (2003), in 1996, some 4000 children were trafficked from Cross River State to various parts of the country and beyond these were mostly used as labours in the coca and other plantations in South-Western Nigeria and Ivory Coast. Some of them were taken through Oron on hazardous ocean journey to Gabon. Other were taken through Mfum and Obudu to work in the cocoa plantations in Cameroon. These Akwa Ibom and Cross River routes are also patronized by South Easterners, who control most of the retail trade outlets in Gabon. However, the most sophisticated and targeted at the sex trade in Europe are traffickers from Edo State (Diana, 1985). The glamour displayed by a few returnee victims and other factors have combined to make trafficking business very lucrative and difficult to eradicate.
    It is also found out many parents in Nigeria now persuade their daughters to rush for what they ignorantly perceived as gold mining and opportunity for making a lot of moneys (Out, 2003). Unfortunately, so many reports in the National Dailies and magazines showed that some very particular portions of the country have almost been eaten up by this ugly act. For example, Olowolabi (1999) stated, until the recent repatriation, stories about Edo girls working as prostitutes in Italy and other foreign countries had been widely and frequently bandies about. And for non-residents of the state, such stories had been treated as fairly tales. But for those in the ancient city of Benin, the migration to Italy by their woman for commercial sex enterprise is a decade old reality.
    Olowolabi (1999) also said that out of 743 Nigerians deported recently, 65 were indigenes of Edo State, two from Imo, two from Anambra, two from Delta, one from Imo, one fro Cross River and one from Osun and The Punch Newspaper 27,200 under the caption. How is prostitution in Edo State? As reported by Odunuga (2000) noted that for every repatriation of trafficking in child from Europe especially Italy, in the last three years, at least 70 percent of young girls were Edo indigenes. This means that, the menace has eaten deep down into the fabrics of the nation generally and Edo State in particular.
    Despite the knowledge of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and the sharp rise in sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), the rate of female prostitution has dramatically increased in the society and trafficking of children (girls) for prostitution has become the order of the day in Nigeria. For instance, Egua (2000) reported that, there are not less than 10,000 Nigerian girls involving prostitution in Rome and the neighbouring regions. During the interview session with the Nigerian Ambassador to Italy, Chief Jack Okpoyo, he stated that, prostitution in the country (Italy) by Nigerian girls, mostly of Edo State origin, was causing a lot of embarrassment to the Nigerian Authorities and affecting relationship between the two countries.
    In spite of the fact that in many societies the traditional attitudes towards trafficking in child as defined by region and custom is basically immoral. The sales of commercial service thrive well because there is a ready market for it. Therefore, the child trafficking profession has come to stay in almost every society. Bearing in mind the dramatic increase in trafficking of children, Nigerian young girls’ troop though all possible means to Italy and other foreign countries. Just as people in various fields of work have the reasons that, motivate them to such profession and it varies from one profession to another, while some may be for economic factors, others may be for social status and many other factors, so also the prostitutes claim to have reasons.
    According to Olowolabi (1999), for those who successfully find their ways out of the country, coping with life in Italy is akin to walking in the shadow of death. According to reported published in Echo News, a magazine of Nigeria affairs in Italy, many of Nigerian girls have been assassinated by either angry clients or unknown assailants. Many of them too have died of sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) including Aids (Akinpelu & Yusuf, 2004). If then the above statement is true, why do these young girls still offer themselves for trafficking? The first lady of Edo State, Her Excellency Mrs. Eki Igbinedion in “The Punch” Newspaper of October 27, 2000 under the heading “How is prostitution in Edo State?” said the entire society should be blamed. The widespread poverty in the land, she opined, led to outright break down in family values and social disorientation arising from cultural alienation. The desire to belong and search for self-identification. The desire to belong and search for self-identity have led to frenzy – the lure for crass materialism. Hence, when Europe beckoned, even with all the trappings, like AIDS, death etc, many young girls fell for it and some were perhaps pushed into it by their parents in anticipation of the dollar rain.