Trafficking Traps Hide Behind Jobs, Scholarships, Travel Offers, GADA Warns Students

CROSS RIVER, CALABAR – GADA, a gender and development organisation in Cross River State, has warned university students against trafficking schemes disguised as attractive job, scholarship and travel opportunities.

The organisation gave the warning during activities marking the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, organised by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) under the theme, “Trapped Behind the Scam.”

Representatives of GADA, Edet Ekpo and Glory Ene, joined stakeholders from NAPTIP, the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, social welfare agencies and civil society organisations for the commemoration in Calabar.

During a sensitisation session at the University of Calabar, the GADA team told students that trafficking offers are not always presented in obvious or threatening forms but can be deliberately packaged as legitimate opportunities.

The organisation cautioned that seemingly attractive offers, including scholarships, employment and travel opportunities, could conceal exploitation and urged students to verify the identity and credibility of individuals or organisations behind such offers before accepting them.

GADA introduced students to a simple three-step approach for dealing with suspicious opportunities: “Pause. Verify. Report.”

The outreach focused particularly on female hostels, reflecting concerns that young women are disproportionately targeted by traffickers.

Students were also encouraged to share the information with their coursemates, friends and family members to increase awareness of trafficking recruitment methods and strengthen community vigilance.

The planned awareness walk from Millennium Park was disrupted by persistent rainfall, forcing organisers to relocate the engagement to the University of Calabar.

The ongoing examination period at the university also limited the number of students available for the sensitisation exercise, prompting the team to conduct the engagement within a shorter window.

Despite the challenges, GADA said the direct engagement provided an opportunity to reach a key demographic with practical information on recognising deceptive recruitment approaches and preventing trafficking.

The team later joined a concurrent state-level security summit at the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, where stakeholders continued discussions on trafficking prevention and public awareness.

The organisation said the activities reinforced its continued participation in efforts to prevent human trafficking and strengthen public awareness of exploitation risks in Cross River State.