INSTITUCIONES EDUCATIVAS-GENERALIDADES.

trade came into being, it was a big relief to most African countries, especially those that were British colonies.(p.51).

Today however, slavery has assumed another dimension. There is a growing cartel and network of men and women across the West African coast, which employs the service of under-age children and ferry them across Nigeria for cheap labour. Most of them work as nannies, house-maids, washer men and women, hawkers, security guards as well as labourers in building sites in Nigerian cities. According to Ani (2014):

The bulk of these innocent children are from Togo, Benin Republic, Sierra Leone and sometimes, Ghana. Most of the times, they are willingly contracted to the merchants or slave masters by their parents who in turn receive peanuts from the masters at the end of every month. A large number of those under age children are found mostly in building sites across the States.(p.51).

A casual visit to some building sites in fast growing urban and sub-urban countries in Lagos and Abuja will be enough eye-openers. These kids mix cement and gravel and serve the mason, using head pans, they also carry blocks which they serve the brick layers. They do not have any permanent address apart from the uncompleted buildings at the site. They look haggard, unkept, malnourished and lethargic, exposed to cold, mosquito bites, rape, bad gangs, and other dangers. Their condition is pitiable but they are helpless, as they have been given away by their parents and guardians in exchange for little money. A fourteen-year-old Beninnoise kid, called Taye who was a victim of child labour at Tokumo Street, satellite town Lagos said they were paid N3000 at the end of every month while they receive N300 chop money every day. Most often they feed on bread, garri and soft drinks.

The US Department of Labour in its 2010 report claims that Nigeria is witnessing the worst forms of child labour. Child workers include street vendors, shoe shiners, apprentice mechanics, carpenters, vulcanizers, tailors, barbers and domestic servants. These children

typically work long hours and for little pay, with their families. Some children are exposed to dangerous and unhealthy environments. Child labour is more common among children of illiterates. On average, in the South-Western zone of Nigeria, there is higher work burden for working children. About one third of working children obtain no benefit from their employer and child labour among pupils affects their learning ability. It creates room for lack of seriousness and interest in school work, poor memory, learning difficulty and under achievement in school.

There are many other reasons why human being is trafficked. Some are used for rituals, damaged organ replacement and drug trafficker for drug barons. Some are forced into criminal activities such as militancy, hired assassins, conscripted soldiers and terrorists.

Some victims kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorist groups are now members of the sect, unleashing havoc on the society as suicide bombers. Some are recruited to fake miracles within and outside the country for fake prophets and pastors; they act as sick people, cripple, deaf, dumb, mad, or even dead people during crusades and claim being healed after prayers.

This attracts ignorant crowds who are in turn duped of their money and other valuables.

Some young girls are kidnapped and held hostage for sexual abuse and baby manufacturing.

Such cases have been reported in Abia State where some gang of human traffickers, held young girls hostage under thorough security surveillance, arranging men who impregnate them and hiring special doctors who attend to them until delivery. The babies are sold to ritualists and illegal adopters. One of the victims escaped and alerted the police.

Similar to this is blood donation; some lure innocent and unsuspecting children to parting with their blood. As reported by Igbokwe (2013), a 23-year-old Olusola Opeyemi and his accomplices were apprehended at Orile Agege area of Lagos, whose duty is to take a pint of blood from kids and pay them N1, 500. He was able to lure few boys who in turn spread the news to others. Excited, the students promised not to let their parents know what they were into. They sold the blood to medical doctors at a higher price. Some of the victims said

Olusola told them that they were helping people who need blood to survive. Some said the money helped them to buy things that their parents could not afford to buy for them like phone. They used the money to eat to replenish the blood. Many in the area lost weight, one man said his son died as a result. Some husbands accused their wives of not feeding the children well while other parents accused fellow students of bewitching their own children at school. According to Igbokwe (2013):

Operating from a shop located at No.23 Owolabi Owotoye Street Orile- Agege, where he sold medical equipment and other articles, Opeyemi and other suspects had convinced their victims that parting with some quantity of blood will fetch them money while not putting them at risk. The unsuspecting students, had fallen for their antics and therefore freely gave their blood at a fee of N1,500. (p.13).

There are many of such cases in Nigeria today. As widely reported by the media in May 2017, a Nigerian father gave out his 15-year-old son to a human trafficker at N8,000. This shows the extent of frustration and desperation orchestrated by poverty and moral decline in the world today.