The Joint Kaduna State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking has warned Nigerians to be careful of fake online job offers and digital scams, saying cyber-traffickers are increasingly using social media and false recruitment promises to lure unsuspecting victims into exploitation.
The warning was issued during a public awareness walk held on Wednesday in Kaduna to mark the 2026 World Day Against Human Trafficking. Speaking during the event, officials said traffickers now rely on fake job advertisements, online scams and deceptive promises to target children, young people and job seekers, urging the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious recruitment activities.
Speaking to journalists during the rally, the Kaduna State Commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr. Labaran Ado, said the agency has secured more than 850 convictions for human trafficking offences across Nigeria.
Ado disclosed that the Kaduna Command has recorded four convictions since 2021, while 12 other cases are currently before the courts. He added that several investigations are also ongoing.
According to him, cyber-enabled exploitation, organ harvesting schemes and deceptive recruitment have become major drivers of human trafficking in Kaduna State.
“Kaduna serves as a source, transit and destination state for human trafficking. On a daily basis, victims are trafficked or passed through the state,” he said.
He also announced that through collaboration with other government agencies, the command recently rescued and repatriated two trafficking survivors from Ivory Coast.
Reaffirming the state’s commitment to fighting human trafficking, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Justice, Sir James Kanyip, said the government would continue to prosecute offenders involved in technology-driven exploitation.
Represented by the Solicitor-General of the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice, Ms. Jummai Danazumi, Kanyip said traffickers are increasingly using fake job offers, online scams and false promises to exploit children and young people.
“We are fully committed to prevention, prosecution and victim protection. Trafficking thrives in silence, but in Kaduna, we choose to speak out,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairperson of the Civil Society Coalition Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Kaduna State, Mrs. Bukola Ajao, warned that traffickers now contact victims directly through social media platforms.
She explained that many victims are deceived with promises of high-paying jobs, fake business seminars, contract opportunities and even free flight tickets.
According to Ajao, once victims travel, traffickers often seize their mobile phones, cutting off communication and leaving them trapped.
She urged parents to closely monitor their children during the August school holidays, warning against allowing minors to visit unfamiliar people they met online or sending them on unsafe errands.
The taskforce called on parents, community leaders and members of the public to remain alert while using digital platforms and promptly report suspicious online recruitment offers and trafficking-related activities to NAPTIP and other law enforcement agencies.
The awareness walk featured representatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), as well as civil society organisations and community groups, all joining efforts to raise awareness against human trafficking.
