Nigeria strengthens anti-trafficking strategy as criminal networks increasingly exploit digital platforms to recruit, deceive and exploit victims nationwide.
The Federal Government on Thursday declared that Nigeria must fundamentally rethink its fight against human trafficking as organised criminal syndicates increasingly migrate from traditional forms of exploitation to sophisticated online recruitment and cyber-enabled forced criminality.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who was represented by the Director Research, Planning and Statistics in the ministry, Mrs Victoria Ojogbane ,
said the changing dynamics of human trafficking require stronger laws, closer inter-agency collaboration and deeper international cooperation to ensure traffickers no longer exploit technological advances and cross-border criminal networks to evade justice.
Speaking at the national commemoration of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Abuja, the Attorney-General said the Federal Government was determined to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework to confront emerging trafficking patterns, particularly those linked to online scams, cybercrime and transnational organised crime.
He stressed that the administration would continue supporting coordinated intelligence sharing, effective prosecution, improved victim protection and stronger partnerships with development partners and neighbouring countries to dismantle trafficking syndicates.
The renewed commitment comes amid growing evidence that traffickers are abandoning conventional methods in favour of digital platforms, using fake employment offers, scholarships, business opportunities and migration promises to lure unsuspecting victims into modern-day slavery.
Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Bello, said the evolution of trafficking represents one of the greatest challenges confronting law enforcement agencies, warning that the internet had become one of the most potent recruitment tools for criminal organisations.
According to her, traffickers now prey on unemployment, poverty and the desire for better opportunities, particularly among young Nigerians, using sophisticated online deception to recruit victims before exploiting them both within and outside the country.
She noted that this year’s theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” reflects the changing face of trafficking in persons and underscores the urgent need for governments, technology companies, financial institutions and civil society to work together against criminal networks operating across borders.
The keynote speaker and UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure warned that the world was witnessing the convergence of trafficking in persons, cybercrime, money laundering and financial fraud into a single transnational criminal enterprise.
He explained that victims are increasingly deceived through social media and online advertisements with promises of lucrative jobs or educational opportunities abroad before finding themselves trapped in scam compounds where their identity documents are confiscated, movements restricted and lives controlled.
Many, he said, are then forced to run romance scams, investment fraud and cryptocurrency schemes targeting victims across the world. Rep’s Keynote Address for the National Commemoration of the 2026 WDATIP CT review.pdf
The UN official disclosed that research conducted by UNODC across 21 Nigerian states found increasing evidence that traffickers are exploiting digital platforms to recruit victims, while consultations with communities and survivors showed that false employment and migration opportunities have become major recruitment tactics. Rep’s Keynote Address for the National Commemoration of the 2026 WDATIP CT review.pdf
He further revealed that Nigerians are increasingly being trafficked into scam compounds overseas, while similar patterns of forced online criminality are beginning to emerge within Nigeria, prompting authorities to broaden investigations beyond cybercrime to include trafficking, financial investigations and victim identification. Rep’s Keynote Address for the National Commemoration of the 2026 WDATIP CT review.pdf
To strengthen Nigeria’s response, UNODC announced that it had supported the establishment of a joint Operational Task Force involving NAPTIP and the Nigeria Immigration Service under the European Union-funded PACTS project to coordinate intelligence gathering, preserve digital evidence, trace criminal proceeds and improve cross-border investigations. Rep’s Keynote Address for the National Commemoration of the 2026 WDATIP CT review.pdf
The agency also unveiled a five-point support programme focusing on victim protection, intelligence-led investigations, financial tracking of criminal proceeds, regional cooperation and preventive interventions aimed at reducing the vulnerability of young people to traffickers. Rep’s Keynote Address for the National Commemoration of the 2026 WDATIP CT review.pdf
The event brought together senior government officials, diplomats, security chiefs, development partners, civil society organisations and anti-trafficking advocates, who agreed that defeating modern trafficking would require treating it not merely as a migration or law enforcement challenge, but as a complex security, justice and development issue requiring sustained national and international action.
Why this angle works better for a front page: Instead of leading with the familiar “human trafficking goes digital” narrative, it presents the story as a major policy shift by the Federal Government, with the Attorney-General driving a new national response. The cybercrime dimension then becomes the justification for the policy overhaul, making the story fresher and more authoritative.
