Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have raised the alarm on the existence of fake Job opportunities and scholarships overseas for the hidden agenda to exploit and defraud Nigerians in various disguise.
Both organisations said these exploitative devices are usually the handiwork of human traffickers and scammers operating in Nigeria, Ghana, and across the West African coast.
The EFCC, said, it viewed with great concern a rising fraudulent scheme newly perfected window by fraudsters through ubiquitous foreign airlines’ ticketing discount promos to exploit and defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned money.
The Director General, NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja, at a press briefing at the instance of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Kingdom of Netherlands, European Union (EU) and United Nation Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNHCR).
To mark the 2025 World Trafficking Day, the DG, said activities are lined up for Monday July 28 Sensitization and Peaceful Walk involving all stakeholders and partners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and across the country.
Bello said the sensitization provides a platform to distribute IEC materials and engage communities on how to identify and report trafficking cases.
She said: “On Wednesday, 30th July 2025, will be the flagship event of the celebration. It will have in attendance policy makers, donor agencies, international partners, law enforcement agencies, NGOs, private sector leaders, and survivors.”
The fight against human trafficking, according to her, has continued to take new dimensions with emerging trends, adding that it is coupled with a new destination to further exploitation of victims.
She, however, expressed the agency’s resolved crackdown to stamp out the menace.
The DG added: “Fake job opportunities and scholarships in some destination countries are used to attract the victims as marketing agents for some branded products with the intention to exploit them.
“Recruitment of victims as marketing agents for some branded products with the intention to exploit them.
“Recruitment of unsuspecting youths for Online Scam (Yahoo-Yahoo) within Nigeria, Ghana, and some West African Countries.
“Online Trafficking/Sextortion, revenge porn,– especially between Nigeria and Ghana.”
On forced prostitution, she said, traffickers use Online Loan Scheme, is a situation where the suspect uses social media handles to lure unsuspecting victims into accepting, but at the end of the day, compel them into prostitution in return for the loan.
Meanwhile, the EFCC said malicious by scheme by fraudsters involve the use of malware to gain unauthorized access to the account information of unsuspecting victims.
The Commission, said: Teasers like fake promo, investment windows and other baits are usually employed to make their victims volunteer their account information through which fraudsters execute transactions on their behalf by sending their funds to accounts mainly in FINTECH Institutions.
Through this access, fraudsters then control and launder the funds through the purchase of crypto currencies, spokesperson for EFCC, Mr. Dele Oyewale said in a statement made available to the media on Friday.
He said: “A case in point was a “Promo” offering the public 50% discount of ticket purchase in a leading foreign airline.”
According to him, victims are led to pay a token of N500 into the account of the airline, stressing that the N500 payment which is now dressed as Charity payment is the leeway through which the fraudsters gain access to their victim’s personal information.
He said: “The victims were deceived into downloading the app of the airline to be eligible for the discount. However, after downloading the app and gaining unauthorized access to their personal details, funds were moved from the victim’s bank account into an account in a microfinance bank.
“It is important to disclose that this fraud scheme is largely driven by an army of young Nigerians offering a paltry payment of between N1500 and N2000 to their victims to make them surrender a copy of their personal information details to them and sell the same information to some FINTECH Institutions for about N5000
“These canvassers or marketers called themselves “Account Suppliers” or “KYC Group”. Information available to the Commission revealed that the actors are up to 12000 all over the country seeking account donors that will surrender their NIN registration slip, BVN, passport photograph and other means of identification for a little fee. This information is then used to open accounts with FINTEC companies for investment scam and sundry fraudulent schemes.
While still speaking on it 2025 Day, the NAPTIP boss, said: The 2025 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed on July 30th, serves as a crucial platform to raise awareness about the global challenge of human trafficking and to advocate for the protection and rights of victims.
This day, she added highlights the urgent need to combat this crime, which involves the exploitation and abuse of individuals for profit, and emphasizes the importance of collective action to prevent trafficking and support survivors.
“The theme of this year’s celebration is: “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation.
“For us at NAPTIP, this day is not just symbolic; it is a time for deep reflection, renewed commitment, and coordinated action to stamp out human trafficking in Nigeria.
“This year’s theme: “Human Trafficking is Organized Crime – End the Exploitation,” is therefore a call for a deeper understanding of the nexus between human trafficking and organized criminal networks across the world and the multifaceted, multi-sectoral approach to disrupt operations of the gangs across the world while ensuring a victim-centered approach.
“This is premised on the fact that Organized criminal networks are driving this victimization and exploitation, using migration flows, global supply chains, legal and economic loopholes, and digital platforms to facilitate cross-border trafficking at a massive scale.” The DG, said.
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