The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths from Thailand, raising concerns over a growing human-trafficking trend targeting young Nigerians for cyber-enabled crimes in Southeast Asia.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with international partners, including Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated travel documentation for the victims.
Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed that the victims were lured abroad with promises of scholarships and employment opportunities but were later forced into online fraud activities in countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
According to Bello, traffickers now target educated and skilled young people, particularly those with computer and information technology knowledge, as part of a new trafficking strategy linked to internet-based crimes.
“This is a new dimension of the human trafficking phenomenon that targets vibrant and intelligent Nigerians with digital skills,” she said. “They are promised education opportunities and well-paying jobs, only to be exploited upon arrival.”
The victims reportedly said they were compelled to participate in online scams, including romance fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, and investment-related deception directed at individuals and organizations in different parts of the world.
NAPTIP said the victims were kept under strict supervision and pressured to meet daily targets set by the criminal network. The agency described the situation as a serious and evolving form of organized trafficking requiring urgent national and international response.
The Director-General reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling trafficking syndicates and protecting Nigerians from exploitation abroad through strengthened intelligence gathering and global partnerships.
She also commended civil society organizations in the South Asia region, Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Thailand for their support in securing the victims’ safe return.
NAPTIP urged parents, guardians, and young Nigerians to carefully verify overseas education and job offers, particularly those linked to unfamiliar recruitment channels, and to report suspicious activities to authorities.
The agency reiterated its resolve to intensify efforts to detect, disrupt, and prosecute human-trafficking networks operating within and outside Nigeria.
NAPTIP Rescues 23 Nigerian Trafficking Victims from Thailand, Warns of Cybercrime Exploitation in Southeast Asia
