Human Trafficking Has Gone Digital – FG

The federal government has voiced concern that human traffickers are progressively utilizing online platforms to entice and manipulate victims, labeling it a rapidly changing and limitless danger that requires immediate attention.

Addressing attendees at the 27th National Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking in Abuja on Wednesday, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, emphasized that Nigeria needs to react with comparable swiftness and creativity.

“Trafficking has gone digital. We must act fast or risk being outpaced by criminals who now use sophisticated online tools to recruit, control, and exploit victims,” he stated.

Fagbemi characterized human trafficking as the third most lucrative illegal business worldwide—following drug and arms trafficking—and urged for more robust legal, institutional, and technological countermeasures.

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, highlighted that the agency is actively enhancing its technological expertise.

“Our fight has moved online, and so has our response,” she declared, disclosing that over 160 data officers had been trained across the country, while innovative digital tools had been implemented for case monitoring and collaboration.

Bello revealed that more than 7,000 victims were rescued and rehabilitated between 2022 and 2024, with 205 convictions achieved during that timeframe.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative praised Nigeria’s initiatives, underscoring that “policy means nothing without local action.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli