February 11, 2026 – NAPTIP has rescued 23 Nigerian youths trafficked to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries for cyber-enabled crimes like romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and investment scams. These victims were lured with promises of scholarships and jobs but were forced into online fraud targeting individuals and organizations in the US, UK, Ethiopia, and Canada.
The traffickers targeted young Nigerians with IT skills, promising them a better life. Instead, they were trained in scamming techniques, sometimes learning new languages to serve as translators and customer care agents. They were housed in hostels, monitored by mafia operatives, and tortured if they failed to meet daily targets.
NAPTIP Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described this as a disturbing new dimension in human trafficking, targeting vibrant and skilled Nigerians. The agency is working with international partners to dismantle the syndicate and bring the culprits to justice.
The rescued victims are undergoing profiling, counseling, and rehabilitation. NAPTIP is urging Nigerians, especially young job seekers, to be cautious of overseas scholarship and employment offers lacking verifiable documentation.
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