The Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the British High Commission, has issued a stern warning to Nigerians about deceptive overseas job opportunities that are being used to lure unsuspecting people into trafficking and exploitation.
At a survivor-centred event in Abuja themed “Confronting the Global Scam Centre Crisis: Perspectives of Nigerian Survivors,” officials from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and representatives of the UK Mission highlighted rising cases where traffickers offer lucrative foreign job promises to entice victims. Many of those deceived end up trafficked to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, where they are forced to work in cyber-scam centres under exploitative and coercive conditions.
Survivors at the event recounted how they were recruited under the guise of genuine employment, given fake contracts or job offers, and then transported abroad only to discover they were forced into criminal operations involving fraud and abuse.
Authorities emphasised that legitimate employers do not:
- Recruit primarily through social media
- Demand upfront payments
- Require travel on tourist visas for employment
Job seekers were told to verify offers through official channels before acting on them.
The UK’s Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Gill Lever, reaffirmed that the British Government is working closely with Nigerian authorities to support survivors, provide trauma-informed care and ensure safe repatriation, while targeting the criminal networks behind these scams.
Officials also noted that these trafficking-linked scams often exploit people’s hopes for overseas opportunity, using a combination of promises, deceptive documents, and online recruitment tactics. They urged Nigerians to be vigilant, report suspicious offers, and seek information from official recruitment and migration platforms.
The warnings underscore the need for increased public awareness and cooperation between Nigeria and international partners to tackle modern trafficking that hides behind the façade of “job opportunities.”
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