CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Background to the study

            Child trafficking or child abuse is one of the critical issues facing almost all societies of the world including the most civilised countries such as US, UK, France which has received several attentions locally and globally with the view to curb or eradicate all forms of abuse on children. The concept of child abuse is sometimes used interchangeably as child maltreatment but some researchers believe see child maltreatment as an umbrella term that covers neglect, exploitation, and trafficking of children.

            However, from the global efforts through the UNICEF policy enacted in the Millennium Development Goals declaration, it is obvious that six out of the eight agenda addresses child protection explicitly. A close look at the MDGs shows that no single Goal can be achieved unless the protection of children is an integral part of programming strategies and plans. Failing to protect children from such issues as violence in schools, child labour, harmful traditional practices, the absence of parental care or commercial sexual exploitation squanders the world’s most precious resource. reaching the most vulnerable and isolated populations helps ensure the health and well-being of all and is indispensable to achieve the MdGs.

The reason is not far fetch since the first goal is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” which means that children who were victim of hunger are prone to so many dangers apart from poor health, it could lead them to street begging, street hawking etc, the same goes to the 2nd agenda which achieve universal primary education others are promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The other two that are not children oriented directly is ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development. Without doubt, it can be clearly established that children rights are seen global issue that every UN member states must not only strive to achieve but must be pursue with deliberate efforts towards ensuring child abuse free society.

No wonder, it became a global concern when over 200 Chibok school girls in Borno state were kidnapped by the Boko-Haram insurgency some two years ago in which local, foreign, individuals, experts, NGOs and International organisations launched various campaign tagged Bring Back Our Girls “BBOG” to usher the release of the children which is regarded as an abuse on those children right.

Today, there are numbers of ways children are abuse particularly in Nigeria and in sub-sahara Africa which include but not limited to any action or attempt by another person that causes significant harm to a child (usually under 18 years) which could be inform of bullying and cyberbullying, female genital mutilation (fgm), child sexual exploitation , domestic abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, online abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child trafficking, girl looking downstairs grooming, harmful sexual behaviour and other forms of abuse such as street hawking, house help etc (Lindah, 2013).

The research therefore on the thrust to investigate the public perception of mass media awareness on child trafficking (case study of Minna metropolis)