2026 World Day Against Trafficking: ANEEJ raises alarm over cyber-enabled exploitation

… urges crackdown on scam syndicates

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

As the global community observes the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Thursday, July 30, the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has called for an urgent shift in anti-trafficking strategies, demanding robust financial tracking, heightened digital awareness, and tighter international intelligence sharing to combat the rapid surge in cyber-enabled exploitation.
The call was contained in a statement released from the Network Secretariat in Kaduna to mark this year’s observance, anchored on the global theme: “Trapped Behind the Scam.”
According to ANEEJ, modern trafficking networks have evolved beyond traditional forced labor and domestic servitude.
It noted that organized criminal syndicates are increasingly exploiting social media, messaging apps, and fake overseas employment schemes to lure desperate job seekers particularly unemployed youth, women, and girls—into forced online fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and identity theft.
Citing data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), ANEEJ emphasized that Nigeria remains a major source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking.
It added that while agencies such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) rescue hundreds of victims annually, criminal networks continue to innovate using digital tools.
The civil society organization singled out Edo State long recognized as a primary trafficking hotspot, noting that despite government interventions and local initiatives, syndicates have weaponized digital platforms to entrap unsuspecting young citizens under the guise of legitimate migration opportunities.
Highlighting the economic motives driving modern human trafficking, ANEEJ stressed that human exploitation has become a multi-billion-dollar enterprise tied to transnational financial crimes.
“Behind many fraudulent online job posts and fake migration schemes are organized criminal networks exploiting desperate job seekers.
“Following the money is therefore critical to dismantling trafficking syndicates and preventing criminals from profiting from human exploitation,” it stated.
To address these vulnerabilities, ANEEJ disclosed that it conducted investigative capacity-building workshops for civil society organizations and journalists in June and July 2026, targeting illicit financial flows and asset tracing.
Supported by international partners including the UK Home Office, the Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), ANEEJ urged the Federal Government, law enforcement, financial intelligence units, and traditional institutions to adopt a unified front.