On Wednesday, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ota branch, Isaac Ogbah, urged parents to rebuild the family value system to combat social ills in society.

Mr Ogbah noted that some parents place so much value on money over the welfare of their children, adding that they literally “push” their wards into some of the vices bedevilling society.

“Some parents force their kids to make money by all means, as they now place value on money over the welfare of their children.

“This is one of the biggest problems facing society today; this is because on the home front we have lost the whole idea of parental responsibility and family value system,” he said.

He lamented that there had been a series of reports saying that trafficked children are taken to shrines, and they are “put on oath and bondage in such a manner that the victims cannot report”.

He noted that legally too, the provisions of the Evidence Act made it difficult for trafficked persons to speak out as they are made to give evidence in open court.

“The court as we know is an open place, so, when these victims give evidence in court and expose several facts, they are integrated back into society.

“So who shields or gives these victims the protection after that,’’ he queried.

Mr Ogbah, however, said that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) must be properly funded to execute its task in this regard.

“We have a long way to go; victims, who ought to be protected after giving evidence in court, should be protected.

“The court should also ensure that delicate proceedings touching on human trafficking are held in ‘camera’ and away from the conventional courtrooms,” he said.

(NAN)