THE REHABILITATION OF VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AT IDIA RENEAISSANCE, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE
CHAPTER ONE
 INTRODUCTION
1.1    Background of the study
Human trafficking is a menace that is currently generating a lot of concern globally, especially in countries like Nigeria, where it is highly prevalent. The generally accepted definition of human trafficking is that of the United Nations which defines it as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat or the use of force or other means of coercion, of abduction or fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include at a minimum, prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practice similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. (Palermo, 2000) Thus, three main elements are at the core of this definition and they include: the actual act of trafficking including the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, associated acts such as the threat or the use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of a position of weakness or vulnerability and exploitation including at a minimum the exploitation for  prostitution (or other forms of sexual exploitation) forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.
A number of factors contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings, in particularly children in West Africa. Predominant among these are poverty, large family size, lack of educational opportunities and lack of employment. Other factors facilitating trafficking of persons in Benin, Nigeria and Togo include ignorance on the part of families and children of the risks involved in trafficking, the high demand for cheap and submissive child labour in the informal economic sector, the desire of youth for emancipation through migration, institutional lapses such as inadequate political commitment, non-existent national legislation against trafficking in human beings, and the absence of a judicial framework allowing for the perpetrators and accomplices of trafficking to be held responsible and punished for their acts. Other contributory factors in trafficking in persons in the region include porous borders, corrupt government officials, involvement of international organized crime groups or networks, limited capacity of or commitment by immigration and law enforcement officers to control trafficking at the borders and lack of political will or desire to enforce existing legislation or mandates. The vulnerability of prospective victims are exploited in many respects; the victims most of whom are pre-teens, teenagers and mostly female are taken far away from their homelands to cities within their country or across national boundaries and exploited for optimum economic benefits. Many of them are engaged in cheap labor such as domestic servants, hawkers, beggars, prostitutes or put into other forms of servitude akin to slavery.
Human trafficking is a social phenomenon that is spreading across every region around the world. Human trafficking consist of the movement of people from one country to another for sexual exploitation. The persons who recruits, as well as the persons who accompany and the persons who receive them in the place of destination are traffickers. Generally, people are trafficked from developing to developed countries in search of better opportunities. A factor predisposing young women to being trafficked is the feminization of migration for income generation opportunities. Increased female migration is partly due to the feminization of poverty. The countries of origin do not have sufficient resources to provide these minors and young women with adequate employment for a life with dignity.  
1.2    Statement of the problem
In Nigeria, women contribute to the domestic economy as farmers, petty traders, domestic workers and homemakers. Their work is grossly undervalued and poorly rewarded, and to worsen their condition, they have no direct access to credit facilities because of low income and lack of collateral. Their lack of formal training means that they are not able to access other opportunities available in the better paying employment sectors of the economy. Consequently, women have become prime targets of recruiters involved in trafficking for sexual exploitation. Trafficking in Nigerian minors and women into Italy for prostitution started around the second half of the 1980s, following the economic difficulties caused by the structural adjustment program (Aghatise, 2002). They started leaving the country on promises of fantastic and well-paying jobs in Europe, in factories, offices and farms. They arrived in Italy only to find themselves sold into sexual slavery. They were forced to engage in prostitution. Aghatise (2002) noted that the women who were trafficked at the beginning were mainly married women or separated women on the lookout for a way to cater for their families. Later those trafficked were mainly young girls who went in search of jobs to help their families. Their aim was to go abroad to suffer for a few months, earn huge amounts of money and return home to help the family. However, the reality was often different. Some have estimated that about 80% of girls and women trafficked into Italy from Nigeria are from Edo State. This is curious because traditionally this ethnic group does not encourage prostitution (Aghatise, 2002). Girls and women trafficked from Nigeria are often made to undergo some rites in order not to reveal the identity of their traffickers and madams to the Police and to pay their “debts” without creating problems.
The problem of trafficking cuts across a range of development issues, from poverty to social inclusion, to justice and rule of law issues, and thus has relevance for practitioners throughout the development community. In addition, there is insufficient information on the traffickers and their modus operandi on which operational guidelines for a national strategy can be based. In addition, social workers and law enforcement officers are not adequately trained, and victim-witness protection schemes are non-existent or have not been implemented. Absence of efficient mechanisms to support local communities in prevention activities, and for the reintegration of trafficked minors and young women, results in increased vulnerability of individuals. These issues are the concerns of this research. In response to this problem, this study proposes to investigate several options to establish various ways in the rehabilitation of victims of human trafficking in Idia renaissance, Benin City, Edo state.
1.3    Objectives of the study
The main objective of the study is to examine the socio-cultural factors of human trafficking, other specific objectives include:  
1.    To know the level and extent of human trafficking among individuals.
2.    To find out the determinants of human trafficking.
3.    To find out the effects of human trafficking and its prevalence in Edo state.
4.    To discover ways in which human trafficking can be drastically reduced in the society.
1.4    Research questions
1.    Who is at risk of human trafficking?
2.    Why is the trend more prevalent in Edo state?
3.    What are the challenges in factors determining human trafficking?
4.    How can the high incidence of human trafficking be drastically reduced in the society?
1.5    Significance of the study
The completion of this study through the collection and analysis of relevant data is envisaged to provide information on the concept of human trafficking and the socio-cultural factors determining human trafficking. The scope of the concept and the extent to which the incidence occurs in the study area. The study will also acquaint us with relevant knowledge that could lead to a change in orientation, philosophies and attitude towards human trafficking. It will provide parents and government alike with information on the tactics used by traffickers to get victims and possible ways of bringing the prevalence of the incidence to itsbarest minimum as well as the various methods and rehabilitation process in dealing with victims of human trafficking. Finally, the study could serve as a trigger for further studies into the occurrence of the socio-cultural factors determining human trafficking in OredoLocal Government Areas of Edo state and the country at large.  
1.6 Area of study
This study will be conducted among the oredo local government area of edo state. The local government was created form the district council under the local government aw in 1976.
Oredo local government area is one of the local government area in Edo state and it happens to be the capital of city of Edo state. It has an rea of 249 km2 and a population of 374,575 according ot the 2006 national population and census NPC, 2006). And a 2016 projection population of 490, 600. ‘8NPC 2016) national Bureau of statistics (NBS2016) of the postal code of the area is 300. The local government council of twelve wards namely.