NAPTIP said that after reaching their destinations, the traffickers confiscated the money alongside the victims’ phones and personal belongings. By disguising trafficking as employment, recruiters can exploit the hopes and financial pressures of job seekers before exercising control over them. UNODC reported in 2021 that children accounted for more than 75 per cent of detected trafficking victims in West Africa, highlighting the particular vulnerability of younger people in the region. A young Nigerian searching for work is not merely looking for a salary. NAPTIP warns Nigerian youths about fake oil, gas and mining jobs used by traffickers to lure victims into exploitation across West Africa.