The Federal Government has raised alarm over the increasing use of digital platforms by human traffickers to recruit and exploit victims, describing the trend as a rapidly evolving and borderless threat that necessitates urgent and innovative responses.
Speaking at the 27th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking held in Abuja on Wednesday, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, stressed the need for Nigeria to adapt swiftly to the changing dynamics of trafficking.
“Human trafficking has gone digital. We must act swiftly or risk being outpaced by criminals who now deploy sophisticated online tools to lure, control, and exploit vulnerable individuals,” Fagbemi said.
He noted that human trafficking ranks as the third most lucrative criminal enterprise globally—following drug and arms trafficking—and called for the strengthening of Nigeria’s legal, institutional, and technological frameworks to combat the menace effectively.
Also speaking at the event, Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, emphasized that the agency is adapting its operations to meet the digital challenge head-on.
“Our fight has moved online—and so has our response,” Bello stated, highlighting that NAPTIP has trained over 160 data officers across the country and deployed new digital tools to enhance case tracking and inter-agency coordination.
Bello further disclosed that between 2022 and 2024, more than 7,000 victims of trafficking were rescued and rehabilitated, while the agency secured 205 convictions during the same period.
In her remarks, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) commended Nigeria’s efforts but stressed the importance of translating national policies into concrete action at the local level.
“Policy means nothing without local action,” she noted, urging stakeholders to remain proactive in addressing both traditional and emerging forms of trafficking.
