LEGAL MECHANISMS FOR COMBATTING VOODOO AND OTHER CONTROL MECHANISMS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND NETHERLANDS: LESSONS FOR NIGERIA

Abstract

The use of voodoo and other control mechanisms by traffickers constitutes an aspect that aids human trafficking. It has made arrest, investigation and prosecution difficult for our l aw enforcement agencies This paper depicts how the law enforcement agencies in Nigeria found it difficult to prosecute traffickers because of voodoo and other control mechanisms administered on the victims of human trafficking. This paper further depicts how law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom and Netherlands have successfully combat ted voodoo and other control mechanisms by enlisting anthropological experts, local priest or cultural experts in human trafficking. This paper concluded that the us e of voodoo and other control mechanisms shall continue to make human trafficking to thrive as business for traffickers if our law enforcement agencies in Nigeria are not proactive by employing local priest, cultural experts, anthropological experts during investigation and trial of human trafficking case s in court to douse the tension and remove fear from the victims of human trafficking. This paper recommended that the government of Nigeria should borrow a leaf from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands where law enforcement agencies make extra ordinary efforts to employ and bring local priest, anthropological experts and cultural experts to court to assist in dousing the tension of the victims of human trafficking. This paper further recommended that si nce voodoo is not expressly stated in the Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act(TIPPEAA) 2015, the Nigerian government should take a step forward again by amending the extant principal legislation by making voodoo expressiv e in the Act not impliedly as it is in the TIPPEAA 2015.