The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has successfully rescued and repatriated 23 Nigerian youths who were trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries for cybercrime activities. The Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, warned that traffickers are increasingly targeting intelligent youths with computer and IT skills, luring them with promises of scholarships and high-paying jobs.

The victims, taken to countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, were forced into online scams such as romance fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, and fake investment operations. Some were even trained in language schools to work as translators and customer care agents to deceive targets abroad, including individuals in the United States, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, and Canada.

According to NAPTIP, the traffickers monitored the victims closely, punishing those who failed to meet targets, sometimes with torture or even organ harvesting. The agency said this represents a disturbing new dimension of human trafficking, exploiting youths with clean health records and non-smoking or non-drinking habits.

The rescue operation was carried out in collaboration with Eden (Myanmar), the British Government, and the Nigerian Embassy in Bangkok, which facilitated the victims’ return with emergency travel documents. NAPTIP affirmed its commitment to dismantling these trafficking syndicates and urged the cooperation of all stakeholders to prevent further exploitation of Nigerian youths abroad.