Causes And Consequences Of Child Trafficking As Expressed By Married, Adults
[A CASE STUDY OF SHAKI WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE.]

The agency is empowered among others to enforce the due administration of the Act as well as coordination of all laws on trafficking in persons and related offences and the enforcement of those laws as well as adopting measures to increase the effectiveness of eradication of trafficking in persons. A comprehensive trafficking law will provide an additional tool for addressing the problem without losing the existing mechanisms. It will also permit more effective tracking of cases and record keeping, improve administrative coordination, and provide a model for local legislation at the state level, provide adequate protection and assistance for trafficked person’s adequate protection and assistance for trafficked generally (WOTCLEF, 2000).
    The researcher mindful of the menace of child trafficking attempts to investigate the causes and consequences of child trafficking as perceived by adults in Ilorin metropolis.

Statement of the Problem
    Despite the public condemnation of child trafficking the rush for these western countries mostly to Italy in Europe amongst the young girls between 12 and 19 years of age has remained an obsession (Odunnuga, 2000). From all indications, the reason is not far fetched from the fallouts of the economic recession that the nation (Nigeria) has experienced especially in the last one decade and in particular the past 2 years of global economic melt down.
    Although, poverty and joblessness are inclusive, family setting and other factors too are strong contributory factors. To support this, Olowolabi (1999) reported that, “among the recent deportees are some girl who had not spent more than two months in Italy. Joy, a 24 years old girl falls into this category. Tell Magazine learnt that she left Nigeria only in January 1999. Before she could make the journey, her parents sold some of their household items and portions of their farmland to offset her traveling expenses. Their calculation was after about six months; their daughter would send dollars home. 
    Some of these parents do not even give up after the deportation of their daughters as some a long way in making further arrangement. A parent even used her building plan as a collateral for the money she borrowed is Adjoba originally comes from the village of Bondonkou (Cote .d’ Ivoire), but has lived in Abidjan since the fifties. She is a widow and has four adult children without a fixed job, she ties to pay monthly rent of N17,500 by peddling at the district market. If this fails to provide enough to live, how can she manage? By recruiting young girls aged 7 to 15 years with promise of help preparing for marriage. Then, she offers their services as domestics. The elderly woman collects their salaries every month. When the girls reach puberty, she may be returned to her village where Adjiba contributes to the girl’s dowry.
    The causes of child started pointing accusing fingers on people who are putting in their best in fighting against further existence of the illegal trade. To support this, Odunuga (2000) said, some parents have accused Eki (the wife of Edo State Governor) of truncating the “genuine” efforts being made by these children to live a better life”. It has also been discovered that these trafficked young girls and boys who are now full time international prostitutes, domestic services, workers in manufacturing industries and sweatship likely done in India and Pakistan are well respected at home when they pay visit during festivities such as Christmas. They are popularly referred to as “Italos”. They build fanciful houses in places like government reservation Area (GRA) and in big cities and towns. The parents of “Italos” in most communities are now being honoured with chieftaincy titles (Olowolabi, 1999). This ugly situation has then called for Government intervention, organization bodies and people in general to fight against this. The wife of the vice president of Nigeria, Alhaja Titi Atiku Abubakar is working against this under an NGO (WOTCLEF) which she heads and she is doing her possible best to launch this (WOTCLEF) in every part of the country to fight against the incidence of child trafficking. She is sponsoring an NTA programme titled ‘Zero” which is an enlightening programme to the public on child trafficking. Also on the 21st of February 2005, she launched her (WOTCLEF) in Bayelsa State which she believed having it in all state capitals would be source of facing the problem of child trafficking squarely.
    The efforts of some researchers also cannot be over emphasized. Some researchers have worked extensively such as Akinpelu & Yusuf, (2004) which carried out their research work on the “factors influencing trafficking in Nigerian” Out (2003) also worked on “causes, consequences and the way forward of child trafficking for commercial, business dealings and labour”. These and many other researchers also have done lots of work on this issue that is eaten up the dignity of childhood. In spite of all these efforts by various NGO’s governmental organizations and researchers, the problem seems not to be solved or decreased. This motivated the researcher of the need to find out the caused and consequences of child trafficking as perceived by adults in Shaki West Local Government Area, Oyo State.