The Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede has warned students across the country to steer clear of internet fraud to avoid its grave consequences.
He gave the charge on Monday, November 20, 2023, at the inauguration of an Integrity Club at Doveland International Schools, Abuja.
Olukoyede who spoke through Deputy Director, Public Engagements of the Commission, DCE Nwayinma Okeanu says corruption is evil and a bad practice that should not be allowed to thrive in our environment
“Corruption is an evil and bad practice which we should not allow in our environment. You should know that every act of corruption is evil, and must not be entertained. Lying, examination malpractices, internet fraud, stealing pens and pencils, books and any other thing that does not belong to you is corruption”, she said.
Speaking in the same vein, Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation unit of the commission, ACE II, Aisha Mohammed urged the students to eschew all forms of corruption and join hands with the EFCC to rid Nigeria of all forms of corruption.
“We in the EFCC understand the gravity of corruption and we cannot win this fight alone. You are the future leaders of the country, and as future leaders; you need to know what corruption is at this tender age and be able to combat it. We also need you to be our ambassadors and foot soldiers by spreading the message of anti-corruption to the larger society”.
Responding, the principal of the school Mr. Kolapo Emmanuel applauded the initiative by the EFCC, stressing that preaching the ills of corruption from the grassroots level will surely go a long way in curtailing corruption in the country. He further thanked the management of the EFCC for finding the school worthy to inaugurate the club.
An Operational Manual was also presented to the school to arm members of the club on the modalities of running the club.
Meanwhile, the EFCC’s boss gave the same warning on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at a One-Day sensitization conference held at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to him, cybercrime is evil, its consequences are grave and devastating, and should not be condoned by students.
At the conference themed: “Drug Addiction, illicit Substances and Cybercrime”, organized by the Youth Anti-Corruption Society of Nigeria, Olukoyede, represented by Head, Cybercrimes Section at the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Command, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Helen Nagberi, warned students against the desperate pursuit of wealth, stressing that there is no alternative to hard work.
“Youths are desperately in search of swift affluence without wanting to shed a shred of sweat. This has made many unserious and myopic Nigerian youths venture into cybercrimes. Some people have even advanced further into yahoo plus which involves the use of diabolical means to achieve their fraudulent objectives”, he said.
The EFCC’s boss says that internet fraud is a critical issue that affects individuals, businesses, national economies, and the entire financial system resulting in significant financial losses. He pointed out that “cyber criminals impersonate legitimate institutions and trick individuals into revealing their personal information in order to defraud them”.
He cautioned that adequate measures should always be taken through enhanced public awareness and sensitization to ensure cyber security at all times. “Become vigilant when browsing, never click on unfamiliar links or adverts”, he said.
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