The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has issued a stern warning to persons who employ underage housemaids.

The agency stated that such person is committing a crime and would be jailed.

During a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the agency’s Director of Legal and Prosecution, Hassan Tahir, stressed that engaging in such a practice is against the law.

He offered the advice in response to employers of domestic workers facing challenges with their employees, which sometimes escalate to causing injuries.

He stated that according to Section 23 of the Trafficking in Persons Act, TIP, employing a child as a domestic worker is deemed unlawful, constituting an offense under the law.

Tahir quoted Section 23 of the TIP Act as saying, “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.”

However, the director advised that those interested in employing a house help must ensure fair treatment, including providing shared accommodations and schooling with the master’s children.

Tahir said, “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.

“There could be a situation whereby you employ a child and at the same time inflict injury on him or her, if you want to violate their right, please don’t do that, and if certainly you do, NAPTIP will do the needful.“