The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), says the employment of underage persons as domestic workers is a serious offence, with violators risking 7 years in prison.
Hassan Tahir, the agency’s director of legal and prosecution, gave the warning on Monday in Abuja, following recent reports of employers inflicting injuries on their domestic workers.
Tahir said section 23 of the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Act condemns the employment of a child as a domestic worker.
He quoted the section as stating that “any person who willfully employs, requests, recruits, transports, harbours, receives or hires out a child as a domestic worker commits an offence and is liable to conviction of imprisonment for a minimum term of 6 months, and not exceeding 7 years”.
He advised those willing to employ house helps — be they underage or not — to ensure that they are treated fairly and equally.
Tahir explained that the help must be sleeping in the same room with the kids of the master, and must be attending the same school with the kids of the boss.
“The domestic worker must attend the same school with your children, eat the same food with your children, wear the same cloth with your children, he or she must be treated equally with your children,” Tahir said.
