JIFORM Lectures Ajasin Varsity Students On Anti-Sex Trafficking, Irregular Migration

By Temidayo Ajibola

The Journalists International Forum For Migration has admonished students to shun sex trafficking offer and report any suspected human traffickers to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) and other security agencies for prompt action.

Ajibola Abayomi, the President of JIFORM while delivering a virtual lecture titled Sex Trafficking and Irregular Migration as a guest lecturer at a symposium organized by the students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State described human traffickers as kill joy.

He advised the students to focus on their studies and avoid being distracted with unrealistic job offers overseas by suspected traffickers aiming to take advantage of their innocence. 

His words “Those behind human trafficking always see youths at the higher institutions or other catchment areas as their targets because most of you are still within your flower age and will attract good return for illicit traders dealing in human trafficking. I plead with you to be careful and don’t allow yourself and future to be destroyed by the lustful things you may desire but are not important to your growth such appetite for free money, greed, and the desire to have wealth you are not matured for now. You have many years ahead of you be patient and grow to maturity to earn and get what you deserve.

“The irregular migration is particularly dangerous for women and girls. Many women experience physical abuse, torture, rape, enslavement and other forms of psychological abuse. Perpetrators include criminal gangs, smugglers, traffickers, border guards, police and fellow migrants.

“You must have heard about people travelling or dying in the unapproved routes such desert, Mediterranean Sea others. It is not the right way to go so don’t allow yourself to be deceived that the borders of European nations like Italy and other are just a stone through from African nations like Libya, Morocco or Tunisia. The international Organization for Migration (IOM) had to rescue 22,500 Nigerians who were being subjected to different forms of abuses from 2017 till date. While we are not mocking those migrants, I am encouraging you not to invite to yourselves undue pain they went through by taking to irregular migration” Ajibola cautioned.

Below is the full speech delivered by the JIFORM President  at the event.

BEING A PAPER PRESENTATION BY AJIBOLA ABAYOMI, THE PRESIDENT, JOURNALISTS’ INTERNATIONAL FORUM FOR MIGRATION (JIFORM) DURING AN ONLINE SYMPOSIUM TITLED SEX TRAFFICKING AND IRREGULAR MIGRATION WITH THE STUDENTS OF THE ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY AKUNGBA AKOKO, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA ON OCTOBER 30, 2021 FACILITATED BY ADEBOYE JOY OLUWATOYIN.

Protocols

The Great Students, Adekunle Ajasin, Akungba Akoko University, Ondo State.

Permit me to also salute, Miss Adeboye Joy Oluwatoyin for this wonderful initiative and for inviting me here.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen here present.

I consider it a great privilege to be called upon to address you all on a very important topic that has become imperative and a learning curve for the Nigerian youths particularly that this has to do with gender orientation. Because ladies are involved, it is highly sensitive and important to us.

JIFORM, a body that comprises over 300 journalists covering migration across the continents with headquarters in Lagos Nigeria since 2018 has being leading advocacy against human trafficking, slavery, sex trafficking, irregular migration and promoting positive migration that will bring about huge advantage of diaspora benefits to Nigeria and other parts of the world by championing the course of regular migration.

The diasporans are our people living abroad.

The core value addition for JIFORM is to encourage citizens of all of nations through responsible journalism for them to embrace regular migration that leads to prosperous end as opposed to irregular migration which many people termed erroneously as “illegal migration”, but because humanity is involved, we cannot continue to label people as illegal migrants, we prefer to address them as irregular migrants ditto for migration as well in general terms.   

The topic of discuss today is very key to the grooming of responsible female generation in our society. As the leaders of tomorrow and of course mothers of the nation in the making, there is need for you all to be aware of the implications of SEX TRAFFICKING AND IRREGULAR MIGRTAION from Nigeria.

WHAT IS SEX TRAFFICKING? AND HOW IS THAT RELATED TO IRREGULAR MIGRATION? HOW DOES THAT CONCERN OR AFFECT YOU AS STUDENTS?

SEX TRAFFICKING, is a subset of human trafficking both by implication lead to exploitation and slavery. Human trafficking is the second largest crime network rated at $150 billion net worth being scrabbled for by the cabals that are involved globally. It is criminal and we must kick against it.

According to the United Nations, however Sex Trafficking can be defined or classified as “the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Irregular migration, is the movement of persons that takes place outside the laws, regulations, or international agreements governing the entry into or exit from the State of origin, transit or destination.

The irregular migration is particularly dangerous for women and girls. Many women experience physical abuse, torture, rape, enslavement and other forms of psychological abuse. Perpetrators include criminal gangs, smugglers, traffickers, border guards, police and fellow migrants.

You must have heard about people travelling or dying in the unapproved routes such desert, Mediterranean Sea others. It is not the right way to go so don’t allow yourself to be deceived that the borders of European nations like Italy and other are just a stone through from African nations like Libya, Morocco or Tunisia. The international Organization for Migration (IOM) had to rescue 22,500 Nigerians who were being subjected to different forms of abuses from 2017 till date. While we are not mocking those migrants, I am encouraging you not to invite to yourselves undue pain they went through by taking to irregular migration.

The irregular migration issue is not limited to Nigeria alone.

NATIONS WITH HIGH RATE OF IRREGULAR MIGRATION:

Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh are in the top 10 for countries with the largest number of trafficking victims around the world. India is at the top of the list with 14 million victims, China comes in second with 3.2 million victims, and Pakistan comes in at third with 2.1 million victims.

You have a right decision to make by shunning trafficking offers aimed at ruining lives and making you objects of ridicule as SEX TOURISTS.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF TRAFFICKING?

• Poverty, natural disasters and a search for a better life. …
• Women and children are targets. …
• Demand for cheap labor. …
• Human trafficking generates a huge profit. …
• Cases of human trafficking are difficult to identify. …
• Political conditions. …
• Social and Cultural practices. …
• War.

HOW DOES SEX TRAFFICKING AFFECT YOU AS STUDENTS?

Those behind human trafficking always see youths at the higher institutions or other catchment areas as their targets because most of you are still within your flower age and will attract good return for illicit traders dealing in human trafficking.

I plead with you to be careful and don’t allow yourself and future to be destroyed by the lustful things you may desire but are not important to your growth such appetite for free money, greed, and the desire to have wealth you are not matured for now. You have many years ahead of you be patient and grow to maturity to earn and get what you deserve.

Here I am referring to things you can be easily be lured with to abandon your studies in name of there is gold beyond the shore of Nigeria if only you can agree to terms of rosy jobs that are never available but rather you will end up regretting if you fall cheaply for the deceit.  

In last four years, those that had been deceived to take to unplanned journeys or lure into human trafficking are in millions. The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), created on 14th of July 2003 by the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2003 by the Nigerian government to fight trafficking stated that annually about one million Nigerians are being trafficked and out of these lot 94.5 of them are girls according to different researches.  

To let you that human trafficking is a worrisome development, in 2020, alone, NAPTIP received 943 cases for investigation, completed 210 investigations, prosecuted 64 suspects, and convicted 27 traffickers, compared with receiving 938 cases for investigation and completing 192 investigations, 64 prosecutions, and 43 convictions during the previous reporting period. However, conviction data from the reporting period may have included cases outside the international definition of trafficking.

EFFECTS OF SEX AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

• Phycological trauma e.g beating, rape, molestation.
• Disease: STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease), sexually abuse, e.t.c
• Slavery: Deprived of freedom
• Exploitation: Taking advantage of you
• Unfulfilled dream

SOLUTIONS

• Awareness
• Empowerment/job opportunities for youths
• Parental and academic counselling
• Mentoring
• Rehabilitation of victims, through health aids, financial support and others

How do you reject or join the fight against sex or human trafficking?

Report any cases of suspicious move to lure you trafficking to the security agencies and NAPTIP for assistance. Reach to JIFORM too to fast-track emergency response if you need help.

Help line for NAPTIP: 08095498327, 08075638397

JIFORM: 08036458653, 08111811225

Report to the police station nearest to you and do well by concentrating on your studies and shun all distractions.

Thank you for the attention.