The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has warned that human traffickers are now using online tools like fake job offers, loan apps, scholarships, and marketing schemes to trap innocent victims, especially young Nigerians.
NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, said traffickers are using platforms like social media to trick people into sharing personal details, applying for fake opportunities, or accepting loans they later repay through forced prostitution or other abuse. These tactics, she explained, are increasingly common in Nigeria, Ghana, and parts of West Africa.
Bello raised the alarm during a press briefing in Abuja as Nigeria marked the 2025 World Day Against Human Trafficking. The theme for this year, “Human trafficking is organised crime, end the exploitation”, reflects how these criminals operate as structured groups across borders.
She added that crimes like baby factories, sextortion, revenge porn, and organ harvesting are also on the rise. To fight back, NAPTIP is boosting its Cybercrime Squad and calling on citizens to report suspicious activity.
The UN’s Cheikh Toure, representing UNODC, said trafficking thrives where poverty is high and called for more grassroots support to protect the vulnerable. Both NAPTIP and UNODC say fighting trafficking is a shared responsibility that must involve everyone, from the government to communities.
