The federal government has expressed concern that human traffickers are increasingly using digital platforms to lure and exploit victims.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), raised the alarm in Abuja yesterday.

Fagbemi described the situation as a fast-evolving and borderless threat that demands urgent action.

He was speaking at the 27th National Stakeholders? Consultative Forum on Human Trafficking held in Abuja.

?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 said.

Fagbemi described human trafficking as the third most profitable criminal enterprise globally ? after drug and arms trafficking.

He called for stronger legal, institutional and technological responses.

He said the review of the National Action Plan offered a vital chance to strengthen Nigeria?s anti-trafficking response.

?Human trafficking remains one of the world?s most profitable crimes. We must adapt, especially as traffickers now exploit digital tools to operate,? the Attorney-General stated.

He added: ?Let me assure you that we will continue to work closely with NAPTIP and other partners to ensure that the legal and institutional frameworks for tackling trafficking remain dynamic, responsive, and effective.

?The fight against human trafficking is not just about statistics or targets it is about human dignity, freedom, justice, and national integrity,? Fagbemi stated.

Fagbemi called on commissioners for Women Affairs across the 36 states of the federation to advocate policies to combat human trafficking.

He also urged them to advocate budgets and programmes that would directly or indirectly address trafficking and exploitation.

He suggested that a dedicated budget line for state task forces on human trafficking be created to institutionalise their activities in the states.

?Over 7,000 victims rescued in 2 years?

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, disclosed that more than 7,000 trafficked victims were rescued and rehabilitated between 2022 and 2024.

The NAPTIP boss said 205 convictions were secured within the period and inaugurated over 208 Anti-TIP and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) vanguards across schools nationwide.

She said that, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Swiss government, the NAPTIP had developed digital tools to improve data collection and reporting on trafficking cases.

She listed other milestones as including the reactivation of the GBV data platform, the establishment of a digital centre in Katsina with support from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), refurbishment of its Lagos Zonal Command as well as multiple donor-funded projects from the EU, Netherlands, and ECOWAS.

She said the NAPTIP remained committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and integrity in its work.

?Our fight has moved online, and so has our response,? she said.

She also stated that over 160 data officers had been trained nationwide and new digital tools introduced for case tracking and coordination.

She stressed the need to continue collective efforts to combat human trafficking, saying it is a grave issue that must be minimised or eliminated.

?As a society, we have a choice: to fight together or to become enablers through our silence,? the NAPTIP DG warned.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative commended Nigeria?s efforts, stressing that ?policy means nothing without local action.?

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Cheikh Tour?, said: ?Policy means nothing without action. Human trafficking is an assault on dignity, a drag on development and a threat to security?.

He commended Nigeria?s efforts in the fight against human trafficking, calling for improved coordination, stronger data systems and survivor-led strategies.

Toure stressed the need for all stakeholders to unite in the fight against human trafficking.

He said the forum remained a cornerstone of Nigeria?s national response, providing a vital platform for sharing a common vision among federal and state actors.

Previous advice to Nigeria on human trafficking

In June last year, a former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Professor Joy Ezeilo, had called on the Nigerian government to establish early warning mechanism to tackle human trafficking.

Ezeilo, the Executive Director, Women Aid Collective and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had made the call while reacting to a trending video of young Nigerian girls, who were reportedly trafficked for forced prostitution to neighbouring Ghana.

She said establishing the early warning system will identify when girls disappear from school, fail to enroll in school, or live outside of family care.

She had also urged government at all levels to implement urgent measures to address the root causes of the menace to reduce the vulnerabilities of young girls.

?In Africa, one in every four trafficked persons is Nigerian, making the country the most affected by trafficking. This issue remains prevalent in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Edo State was once considered the epicentre of trafficking in persons, but that is no longer the case.

?Nigerian women, children, and men are vulnerable to transnational or cross-border human trafficking, primarily to Europe and Africa, as well as to other parts of the world, including Asia and the Americas. Human trafficking knows no borders.

?Watching the trending video of young Nigerian girls trafficked for forced prostitution to neighbouring Ghana is a stark reminder of the pervasive and cross-border issue of human trafficking or trafficking in persons,? she had stated. (Daily Trust)

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