The Nigerian government has issued a stark warning about the rising threat of cyber-slavery in West Africa, particularly targeting vulnerable young people, including teenagers.
On Sunday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, highlighted the alarming surge in cases of cyber-slavery across the region, with a particular focus on Nigerian citizens. According to Tuggar, this form of exploitation primarily affects vulnerable youths, often lured by the promise of well-paying jobs abroad, especially in the rapidly growing cryptocurrency sector.
“In many cases, these individuals, some as young as teenagers, are tricked into leaving Nigeria with promises of lucrative employment opportunities,” Tuggar explained in a statement released by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa. “However, upon arrival, they are trafficked into highly organised criminal operations that exploit them for cybercrime purposes.”
Tuggar further revealed that many of these young Nigerians end up working in what are referred to as “419 cyberscam factories.” These operations, named after Nigeria’s infamous section 419 of the Criminal Code related to fraud, are call centres where individuals are coerced into committing cybercrime. They are forced to send out thousands of fraudulent emails, texts, and phone calls designed to defraud victims worldwide.
“These operations subject the victims to severe physical and psychological abuse, all in the name of generating illegal profits,” Tuggar added, underlining the horrific conditions under which these individuals are often forced to work.
A recent example of such exploitation was reported in Accra, Ghana, where the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) successfully raided a cybercrime operation and rescued a group of Nigerian nationals who had been trafficked and forced to participate in fraudulent activities. The victims were detained in Ghana under inhumane conditions and were later identified as being part of an extensive cybercrime syndicate.
“This recent rescue operation is a testament to the cruelty and exploitation faced by those lured into these cybercrime schemes,” Tuggar said, reinforcing the need for coordinated action to combat cyber-slavery in West Africa.
The Nigerian government has called on regional authorities and international partners to work together to strengthen measures to prevent the trafficking of citizens for cybercrime purposes and to ensure that those responsible for such operations face justice.
