The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths suspected to be victims of human trafficking to Southeast Asia for cyber-enabled criminal activities.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed the development while warning of a growing trafficking trend in which young Nigerians are lured to countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia under false promises of scholarships and lucrative employment.
In a statement issued by the agency’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP said the rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with Eden (Myanmar), with critical support from the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok.
According to the agency, the victims were deceived by traffickers who promised them overseas education and well-paying jobs, only to force them into organised cybercrime operations upon arrival.
The victims were allegedly compelled to engage in online fraud schemes, including romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud and fake investment platforms, targeting individuals and organisations across several countries.
Describing the emerging pattern of exploitation as disturbing, Bello said traffickers now deliberately target intelligent youths with computer and IT skills, as well as those with clean health records.
“This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians,” Bello said.
“The traffickers go after boys and girls who possess skills, especially in computer and IT, and even prefer those who do not drink alcohol or smoke. They promise them scholarships and gainful employment.”
She explained that upon arrival in the destination countries, the victims were trained in various scamming techniques and, in some cases, enrolled in language classes — particularly Chinese — before being deployed as online “customer care” agents to deceive unsuspecting targets.
“They were made to target individuals and organisations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ethiopia and Canada,” Bello said.
“They were accommodated in hostels with bunk beds, provided with gadgets, and forced to meet daily targets under constant surveillance by fierce-looking mafia handlers.”
According to the NAPTIP boss, victims who failed to comply or meet assigned targets were subjected to severe abuse.
“Anyone who refused to cooperate was tortured,” she said.
“Some victims were locked in what they described as a ‘dark room’, while others alleged cases of organ harvesting, especially among younger victims with a non-smoking history.”
Bello described the revelations as deeply troubling and assured that NAPTIP would intensify efforts to dismantle the trafficking syndicate behind the operation.
“We have reactivated our various connections so that, with the support of our partners, this deadly trafficking network will be dislodged and the ringleaders arrested,” she said.
She commended civil society organisations in the region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok for facilitating the rescue and repatriation of the victims, including the issuance of emergency travel documents.
The latest operation comes weeks after NAPTIP pledged to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and scale up strategies to detect and disrupt emerging trafficking routes targeting Nigerian youths.
