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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) yesterday said human trafficking has evolved beyond sexual exploitation and forced labour into cyber-enabled scam operations, with tech-savvy young graduates now the fastest-growing group of victims.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, disclosed this at a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, themed “Trapped Behind the Scam.”

Bello said the agency rescued 156 trafficking victims between January and July, in addition to over 300 victims repatriated from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in 2025. She said NAPTIP has also disrupted several trafficking-linked scam centres nationwide.

According to her, young Nigerians, particularly skilled graduates, we’re being lured abroad with false job offers in IT, digital marketing, cryptocurrency trading, gaming and telecommunications.

On arrival, mostly in parts of Asia, their passports are seized and they are coerced through violence, debt bondage or psychological pressure into running online scams targeting victims worldwide.

The victims themselves become prisoners trapped behind computer screens, false promises, organised criminal networks, and fear, Bello said.

She said criminal networks now exploited social media, encrypted platforms, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence to recruit and control victims, adding that large scam compounds operate mainly in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, with similar hubs emerging in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Victims there are coerced into romance scams, crypto and investment frauds targeting victims in the U.S., UK, Canada and Ethiopia, she added.

Citing global data, Bello said over 300,000 people are trafficked into scam operations across Southeast Asia annually, generating an estimated $64 billion, with victims drawn from 66 countries.

On prosecutions, she said NAPTIP has secured 839 convictions since its establishment, including 47 recorded this year. She urged Nigerians to verify overseas job offers and avoid unofficial recruitment channels.

Also speaking, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, said trafficking thrives where legitimate opportunities are scarce, noting that job seekers and young people are most vulnerable to exploitation. He called for stronger investment in youth skills development, job creation and inclusive economic growth as a frontline defence against trafficking, alongside law enforcement.

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The Anambra State Police Command has launched a full-scale investigation into a deadly attack on a residential settlement in Agu-Ifite, Awka, which left four people dead, homes razed and livestock killed in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Command condemned the gruesome assault, describing it as a barbaric act, and vowed to track down those responsible and ensure they face the full weight of the law.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives of the Police-led Joint Security Team swiftly responded to a distress call following the attack.

According to him, four male victims were found dead at the scene with their hands tied, while preliminary investigations revealed that they suffered multiple machete cuts and blunt force injuries.

Ikenga added that the attackers also set two residential huts ablaze before fleeing.

“Operatives of the Police-led Joint Security team responded to the scene following a distress report. On arrival, four male victims with fatal injuries were discovered.

“Preliminary observations revealed that the victims had their hands tied and sustained multiple injuries, including machete cuts and blunt force trauma. Two residential huts within the settlement were set ablaze during the attack.”

The police spokesperson disclosed that investigators also discovered four dead cows within the settlement, while two other cattle had been slaughtered, with portions of the meat carted away by the assailants.

He said security operatives recovered sacks containing abandoned chunks of meat a short distance from the crime scene.

According to the Command, preliminary findings indicate that the attackers were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns and machetes.

Ikenga further revealed that one survivor escaped the attack unhurt and is already assisting investigators with useful information that could help identify the perpetrators.

“Further findings indicate that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, pump-action guns, double-barrel guns, and machetes. One of the survivors of the attack escaped unharmed and is assisting the Police-led Joint Security Team with useful information in their investigation.”

The Police Command extended its condolences to the affected community through the Sarkin Fulani in Anambra State, assuring residents that every effort was being made to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.

“The Anambra State Police Command extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the residential community settlement in the State through the Sarkin Fulani. The Command is committed to conducting a thorough, professional, and intelligence-driven investigation to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.”

The Command appealed to members of the public to remain calm and support ongoing security operations by volunteering credible and timely information that could aid the investigation.

Ikenga assured residents that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.

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The Nigerian Navy under Operation DELTA SENTINEL has sustained operational control over known illegal refining hotspots in Riverst state, thereby thwarting repeated attempts to revive demolished refinery facilities.

The development is contained in an operational report by the Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Sunday in Abuja.

In the report, Folorunsho recalled that on July 10, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, PATHFINDER, discovered and deactivated illegal refining sites within the Egbema axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.

He observed that despite the successful operation, criminal elements attempted to reactivate the sites, prompting sustained monitoring and follow-up anti-crude oil theft operations by the navy.

“During the latest operation, NNS PATHFINDER personnel rediscovered and deactivated two reactivated illegal refining sites, recovering approximately 76,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.

“They also recovered 50,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, concealed in seven dugout pits and reservoirs, bringing the total volume of recovered petroleum products to over 126,000 litres, ” he stated.

The director of naval information further said all illegal refining sites and recovered products were handled in accordance with established anti-crude oil theft procedures.

The naval spokesperson restated the navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations to dismantle illegal refining infrastructure, protect critical national assets, and support Nigeria’s economic security.