Key players alongside the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have voiced renewed alarm regarding the expanding operations of human traffickers inside Nigerian tertiary institutions and across online spaces.
They cautioned that criminal syndicates are progressively exploiting young citizens via deceptive employment offers, academic grants, international travel opportunities, and fraudulent digital commercial schemes.
The key players offered this warning during the observance of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons held in Abuja.
Addressing attendees at the gathering, the Executive Director of Blue North Initiative for the Protection of Human Trafficking, Calistus Ekena, observed that traffickers have shifted away from traditional enlistment tactics toward complex digital operations, rendering young Nigerians increasingly susceptible to abuse.
He noted that behind every trafficking datum lies a personal story, emphasizing that victims are frequently misled with assurances of improved livelihoods prior to being coerced into exploitation, domestic servitude, online crime, and various other forms of mistreatment.
“This year’s global theme, ‘Trapped behind the scam: Putting individuals affected by this crime first,’ could not be more timely. Trafficking in persons is changing. Criminal networks are adapting quickly, using technology and social media to expand their reach,” Ekena said.
According to him, traffickers currently rely heavily on social platforms, fraudulent hiring sites, and deceptive business prospects to entice victims.
“For many young Nigerians, the desire for a better future is legitimate. Unfortunately, traffickers exploit that hope. They prey on ambition, desperation, trust and limited access to verified information,” he added.
He urged parents, academic establishments, tech firms, and press organizations to collaborate in elevating digital literacy, exposing trafficking syndicates, and empowering young people with the capabilities required to detect fraudulent recruitment plots.
Speaking as well, Country Director of Blue North Initiative, Boma West, stated that human trafficking has expanded beyond conventional modes of sexual exploitation and forced labor, noting that digital tools have emerged as a primary instrument utilized by traffickers.
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She explained that victims are increasingly enlisted online and manipulated into cyber scams and other illicit enterprises after receiving assurances of job placement, academic opportunities, or travel abroad.
“The digital space has become one of the primary recruitment grounds for traffickers. Social media platforms, messaging applications, fake recruitment websites and fraudulent travel agencies are increasingly being used to deceive unsuspecting individuals,” she said.
West identified youth joblessness, poverty, irregular migration, lack of digital literacy, security challenges, and the rising impulse to seek prospects overseas as major drivers rendering Nigerians vulnerable to trafficking.
She affirmed that the organization will keep strengthening grass-roots safeguards by partnering with academic institutions, local communities, and youth groups to enhance awareness and prevention efforts.
For her part, Executive Director of Adinya Arise Foundation, Mabel Ade, asserted that human trafficking syndicates now function within Nigerian universities, where recruiters identify and entice target individuals.
She voiced concern over the escalating trafficking of youth between Benue and Edo States, characterising the trend as deeply concerning. According to her, numerous underage individuals have been trafficked from Benue to Edo and sold into domestic servitude, with several suffering severe abuse.
She further claimed that corruption within the judicial system was hindering prosecution, maintaining that case files occasionally vanished following the arrest of suspected traffickers.
“What we are also trying to do is to ensure that the Police are able to do the work they are supposed to do because most times when traffickers are caught, case files disappear because money has exchanged hands,” she alleged.
Representing the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, the agency’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Kehinde Akomolafe, stated that the organization had scaled up operations against modern forms of trafficking, especially those connected to cybercrime.
She disclosed that NAPTIP recently liberated 157 victims of cyber-enabled offenses involving human trafficking, computer crime, and financial fraud through combined operations with security agencies.
“The agency was able to rescue 157 people from cyber-enabled crimes, which is a combination of human trafficking, cybercrimes and even financial fraud in partnership with the cyber response agency and the Joint Security Task Force supervised by the Ministry of Justice,” she said.
Akomolafe shared that 125 of the liberated individuals were foreign nationals, highlighting the international nature of human trafficking.
She added that the agency was working in close coordination with the National Assembly to modify the NAPTIP Act to tackle emerging trafficking methods, particularly those leveraging technology and digital platforms.
According to her, recent discussions with the House of Representatives regarding the retrieval, rehabilitation, and reintegration of Nigerians stranded in Mali further highlighted the necessity of reinforcing Nigeria’s legislative framework against human trafficking.
She maintained that continued cooperation among government entities, civil society groups, traditional institutions, security agencies, and parliamentarians remains crucial to combating the evolving threat.
