The Chairman, Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe has said that hiring of any child of 12 years and below as domestic worker is an offence which attracts jail term of between six month and seven years.
Prof Omorogbe, who is also the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice also disclosed that recruiting and receiving any child or adult for forced labour, or providing location for the act is an offence punishable on conviction, with a five-year jail term and fine of N5 million.
She made the disclosures in Benin City while parading two women who allegedly engaged in child trafficking, abuse and modern slavery of teenagers.
She gave the names of the women as Mrs. Martina I. Oziegbe and Mrs. Idehen Esohe Grace.
The two accused women however, pleaded ignorance of the act, claiming that they never knew receiving a child for domestic work was an offence and liable on conviction.
The Attorney-General, while saying that the accused would be pardoned due to the fact that it was the Taskforce’s first outing of parading suspect, warned that culprits would be prosecuted and convicted if found guilty henceforth, stressing that the Taskforce is empowered by law to investigate and prosecute anyone that is into trafficking in persons.
She reiterated that human trafficking is not only moving our girls to abroad, but also the movement of persons from one state or region to another within the state or country.
“It is an offense to employ, recruit, harbour, transport, receive or hire out a child under the age of 12 years as a domestic worker.
Many of these children that are hired as domestic workers are under the age of 12; this is not allowed at all. Anybody who does this commit an offense is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a minimum term of six months and not exceeding seven years.
“Anybody who requests, recruit, transport, habour, receive or hire out a person to be used for forced labour, within or outside Edo State, or permit any place or premises to be used for force labour, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment of not less than five years and a fine of N5 million.
“When you are bringing someone as house help, you need to know it must not be a child or teenager; it must be an adult. In Edo State, all children are to go to school. Child labour, child trafficking, are not allowed. That is the law.”
Prof. Omorogbe emphasised that it is a crime to take a child to one’s side in the guise of taking care of such child and deprived the child of his or her dignity and right to education.
She said that regardless of where the child comes from or the status, no child in Edo State is for sale, saying, “Edo State is not a place where a child or a young person can be bought or sold.”
