Nigeria's NAPTIP warns of booming fraud‑factory trafficking and rescues dozens of victims

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) of Nigeria, led by Director‑General Binta Adamu Bello, warned that more than 300,000 people are trafficked each year into Southeast Asian “fraud factories” that run sophisticated online scams. Victims, often educated Nigerian youths, are lured with promises of jobs in information technology, digital marketing, cryptocurrency trading and related fields, only to have their passports confiscated and be forced to commit fraud for criminal syndicates. The agency identified Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos as primary locations for these scam compounds, which generate an estimated $64 billion in illicit revenue.

At a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP reported that it has rescued 156 victims since January 2026 and repatriated over 300 individuals from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in 2025. The agency highlighted severe conditions inside the compounds, including solitary confinement, torture, and threats of organ harvesting for those who fail to meet targets. The 2026 commemoration theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam,” underscores the shift of human‑trafficking exploitation from traditional settings to the digital realm.