The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to have been trafficked to Southeast Asia for cyber-enabled crimes.
The agency disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the operation, carried out with support from Eden (Myanmar) and critical assistance from the British Government, targeted human trafficking networks exploiting Nigerian youths for online scams.
Mr. Vincent Adekoye, Head of NAPTIP’s Press and Public Relations Unit, said the victims, who have safely returned to Nigeria, were lured with promises of scholarships and legitimate employment before being trafficked to countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
“They were recruited for cyber-enabled crimes, including romance scams, cryptocurrency-related fraud, and investment scams,” Adekoye said.
NAPTIP Director-General, Hajia Binta Adamu-Bello, warned that traffickers are increasingly targeting skilled, sober, and intelligent youths, particularly those with computer or IT expertise. She explained that victims are trained in fraudulent schemes and assigned roles such as translators and customer service operatives to deceive individuals and organisations in the USA, UK, Ethiopia, and Canada.
According to Adamu-Bello, victims were closely monitored in hostels equipped with necessary gadgets, and those who resisted were subjected to torture, with some reportedly killed or had their organs harvested. She described the operations as a “new and disturbing dimension” of human trafficking in Southeast Asia.
The NAPTIP boss assured that the agency had reactivated its networks and partnerships to dismantle the syndicate and bring ringleaders to justice. She expressed gratitude to civil society organisations in South Asia, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok for their support, particularly in facilitating Emergency Travel Certificates for the victims.
Adamu-Bello’s remarks follow her earlier promise of intensified efforts against human traffickers in Nigeria, with renewed strategies to detect, disrupt, and dismantle trafficking networks targeting Nigerian youths.