Human Traffickers Targeting Nigerians Through Digital Channels, Federal Govt Warns

The federal government has expressed concern that human traffickers are increasingly using digital platforms to lure and exploit victims.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), raised the alarm in Abuja yesterday.

Fagbemi described the situation as a fast-evolving and borderless threat that demands urgent action.

He was speaking at the 27th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking held in Abuja.

The Attorney-General said Nigeria must respond with equal speed and innovation.

“Trafficking has gone digital. We must act fast or risk being outpaced by criminals who now use sophisticated online tools to recruit, control, and exploit victims,” he said.

Fagbemi described human trafficking as the third most profitable criminal enterprise globally—after drug and arms trafficking.

He called for stronger legal, institutional and technological responses.

He said the review of the National Action Plan offered a vital chance to strengthen Nigeria’s anti-trafficking response.

“Human trafficking remains one of the world’s most profitable crimes. We must adapt, especially as traffickers now exploit digital tools to operate,” the Attorney-General stated.

He added: “Let me assure you that we will continue to work closely with NAPTIP and other partners to ensure that the legal and institutional frameworks for tackling trafficking remain dynamic, responsive, and effective.

“The fight against human trafficking is not just about statistics or targets it is about human dignity, freedom, justice, and national integrity,” Fagbemi stated.

Fagbemi called on commissioners for Women Affairs across the 36 states of the federation to advocate policies to combat human trafficking.

He also urged them to advocate budgets and programmes that would directly or indirectly address trafficking and exploitation.

He suggested that a dedicated budget line for state task forces on human trafficking be created to institutionalise their activities in the states.

‘Over 7,000 victims rescued in 2 years’

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed that more than 7,000 trafficked victims were rescued and rehabilitated between 2022 and 2024.

The NAPTIP boss said 205 convictions were secured within the period and inaugurated over 208 Anti-TIP and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) vanguards across schools nationwide.

She said that, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Swiss government, the NAPTIP had developed digital tools to improve data collection and reporting on trafficking cases.

She listed other milestones as including the reactivation of the GBV data platform, the establishment of a digital centre in Katsina with support from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), refurbishment of its Lagos Zonal Command as well as multiple donor-funded projects from the EU, Netherlands, and ECOWAS.

She said the NAPTIP remained committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and integrity in its work.

“Our fight has moved online, and so has our response,” she said.

She also stated that over 160 data officers had been trained nationwide and new digital tools introduced for case tracking and coordination.

She stressed the need to continue collective efforts to combat human trafficking, saying it is a grave issue that must be minimised or eliminated.

“As a society, we have a choice: to fight together or to become enablers through our silence,” the NAPTIP DG warned.