The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was marked in member countries of the United Nations on July 30. With the theme, "Trapped Behind the Scam," this year's observance aimed to highlight the activities of organised criminal groups involved in human trafficking.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), transnational organised crime groups across the world are trafficking and exploiting thousands of people, forcing them to participate in industrial-scale financial fraud operations.
Criminal groups recruit people through deceptive job advertisements and false promises of legitimate employment, only to exploit them in scam centres. They use digital technologies and artificial intelligence to expand their operations and evade detection, while victims remain largely hidden from public view and are often treated as offenders rather than victims.
The UNODC reported that, by late 2025, identified victims came from nearly 80 nationalities. While Southeast Asia remains a major hub, the model is spreading to the Middle East, Africa, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, South Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The UN body estimated that cyber scams generated between $18 billion and $37 billion in illicit profits in 2023 in that region alone.
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The story is not much different in Nigeria. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in a 2024 report, describes Nigeria as both a country of origin and a country of exploitation. Nigerians are trafficked abroad, while others are trafficked internally. Nigeria also serves as a destination for victims from neighbouring countries. Between 2017 and the first quarter of 2024, the IOM facilitated the voluntary return of 4,877 Nigerian victims of trafficking, of whom 4,261, about 87 per cent, were women and girls. These figures reveal not only the scale of the problem but also its disproportionate impact on women.
The experiences of many victims follow a familiar pattern. They are enticed with promises of lucrative jobs, scholarships or business opportunities abroad. Once they arrive in their destination countries, their passports and travel documents are confiscated, making escape almost impossible. They are then subjected to forced prostitution, forced labour, drug trafficking or other forms of exploitation through threats, violence and intimidation.
Equally troubling is the role that poverty, family pressure and the erosion of social values play in sustaining this criminal enterprise. In some instances, desperate families encourage young people to embark on dangerous journeys without verifying the claims of recruiters. What begins as the search for a better life often ends in years of abuse and the loss of personal freedom.
The economic consequences are equally severe. Human trafficking deprives Nigeria of productive citizens whose skills and labour should contribute to national development. It imposes enormous social and financial costs on the government, particularly in the rehabilitation and reintegration of returning victims. In many respects, the trade represents a modern manifestation of the exploitation that characterised the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The establishment of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) raised hopes that Nigeria had begun a determined campaign against this ugly trade. While the agency has recorded some successes, the scale of the problem suggests that much more remains to be done. Human trafficking continues to flourish despite the existence of laws, institutions and international partnerships designed to combat it.
The response, therefore, must go beyond rescue operations. Prevention is just as important as prosecution. The Federal Ministry of Information, in collaboration with NAPTIP, state governments, traditional rulers, religious organisations and civil society groups, should intensify public enlightenment campaigns. Communities must understand the deceptive methods employed by traffickers and the devastating consequences awaiting those who fall into their hands.
Parents, community leaders and religious institutions must become more vigilant, but government agencies must also demonstrate greater commitment. There is widespread concern that traffickers operate with far too much freedom and that prosecutions remain too few to serve as an effective deterrent. Unless those who recruit, transport and exploit vulnerable Nigerians are investigated, prosecuted and punished, trafficking networks will continue to expand.
Education must also become a central pillar of Nigeria's anti-trafficking strategy. The IOM notes that many victims possess only secondary or primary education, while a significant number have little or no formal education. This underscores the vulnerability created by limited educational opportunities. Expanding access to quality education and creating economic opportunities for young people would reduce the pool of those susceptible to the false promises made by traffickers.
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Nigeria possesses the legal framework to confront this menace. What is required now is stronger enforcement. NAPTIP, the Nigeria Police Force, immigration authorities, the judiciary and other relevant agencies must work together to dismantle trafficking syndicates, secure more convictions and ensure that those responsible face the full weight of the law.
Human trafficking flourishes where poverty, ignorance and weak law enforcement intersect. Breaking that cycle demands sustained political will, stronger institutions and greater public vigilance. Nigeria cannot afford to allow thousands more of its citizens to be lured into lives of exploitation under the false promise of greener pastures. The time for a more decisive national response is now.
