The Vatican called for stronger international stakeholder collaboration to curb the emergence and rapid rise of cyber slavery in Africa and Asia.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Under-Secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, made the call at the ongoing Pathways to Freedom Africa Network (PFAN) summit in Abuja on Tuesday.

The summit, themed “Inclusive Strategies for Ending Human Trafficking; Reaching the Most Marginalised,” was convened by the Justice Development and Peace Commission Initiative (JDPCI), Abuja Archdiocese.

Mr Baggio said criminal syndicates increasingly use digital platforms and online scam operations to trap vulnerable people in modern forms of human trafficking.

According to him, many victims are lured into online scam centres and criminal operations through fraudulent job offers and deceptive migration schemes.

He cited numerous media reports and contacts with local churches, indicating that this is an increasingly common form of slavery in Asia and Africa, with the proliferation of the so-called ‘scam centres’.

The Pope said individuals are lured into fraudulent schemes and criminal activities, such as online fraud and drug smuggling.

“In such cases, the victim is coerced into assuming the role of perpetrator, exacerbating their spiritual wounds.

“Cooperation and collaboration among national and international institutions are crucial in the struggle to eradicate human trafficking, whether in places of origin, transit or destination,” he said.

Declaring the summit open, the Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Bishop Anselm Umoren, said the theme of the summit was a reminder that no one should be left behind.

“The theme reminds us that no one must be excluded from our concern or compassion.

“Persons With Disabilities (PWD) displaced persons, migrants, women, children, and communities, whose voices are often ignored, remain at the centre of our mission.

“Over the next two days, you will not simply listen to presentations; you will co-create, commit, and build, ” he said.

He added that blueprints developed from the summit would help shape policy, strengthen institutions, and inspire grassroots action across Africa for years to come.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs Binta Bello, commended stakeholders for the concerted efforts toward the production of strategic guidelines.

Represented by Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution, Ms Nneka Ajie, Bello said that children were likely to be victims.

She reasons such as separation of parents, children in conflict areas, security, unaccompanied children, displaced children, asylum-seeking and refugee children, among others.

“The necessity of having a procedural guide for the handling of cases involving children in contact with the law became imperative.

“This is considering the delicate nature of such cases and the need to adhere to the tenets of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, in the prosecution of such cases.

“The guidelines we are unveiling today are a watershed in the country’s criminal justice system and the quest for the preservation of the universally acclaimed rights of the child, which are embedded in numerous international legal instruments,” she said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Director of JDPCI, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Sanni, said the summit had five objectives.

Mr Sanni said the objectives included formally launching the Pathways to Freedom Africa Network (PFAN); co-designing operational blueprints for PFAN’s three tiers; and modelling the inclusion we champion. 

(NAN)