EFCC urges youths to join fight against cyber-crime

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has urged undergraduates and postgraduate students to partner with it in the fight against cybercrime.

Mr Alex Ogbole, from the EFCC Cybercrime Section, who was at the New Telegraph Ikeja Office, Lagos State, to speak with the students, said that Nigeria has a large population and as such, needed many people possible to join in the fight against cybercrime, especially the youth.

Ogbole spoke at the event ‘Youth Against Crimes’ advocacy programme, put together by Juliana Francis, under the Female Journalists’ Leadership Project by Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

While stressing that youths are truly tomorrow’s leader, Ogbole urged them to dissipate their energies on something worthwhile, rather than on crime.

Explaining that crime doesn’t pay, Ogbole said that there were a lot of laws working against cyber criminals, adding that it was only a matter of time before they are arrested.

His words: “There’s whole lot of sections of laws that deals with cybercrimes. It’s only a matter of time before the EFCC catches up with cybercriminals. And when the person is caught, we’re talking about minimum of seven years. If you have friends in cybercrime, please advise them to desist. True, they drive latest cars, wear flashy clothes and spray money recklessly in clubs, but all those are just temporary satisfactions. The EFCC will get them.”

Ogbole, who warned the students to be wary of social media sites and what they clicked, said anyone could become a victim of cybercriminals. He also warned against clicking and filling out forms, which are supposed to be from banks.

According to him, another way youths could become victims is by going on errands to collect money from banks, which source they didn’t know.

He added: “It’s possible that the person didn’t know that the money, he or she went to collect is proceed of fraud, but there’s no ignorance in law.”

He maintained: “As youths, you have energies to burn, channel them into something positive. If you’re so interested in computers, you can start creating computer games. I urge you to begin to do what you know and ensure you know it well. Someday, people will start talking about you and recommend you. Do everything legitimately.”

Ogbole further challenged the youths to report cases of cybercrimes to EFCC, through the Commission’s website, anonymous petitions or by visiting their zonal offices.

Asked why cybercrime and youths involvement appeared to be on the increase, Ogbole said that as the war against cybercriminals rages, criminals continue to evolve.

He added: “Cybercrime is a global problem; it’s not just a Nigeria issue. We have meetings with different county representatives and they tell us their own challenges. These days, we have started going to NYSC orientation camps to speak to youths about cybercrimes. It’s saddening that the age brackets that engages in this are 17, 18 to 35. Join us in our fight against cybercrime. That Nigerians are known for fraud in foreign countries is bad publicity. We should make positive differences, in any country we find ourselves.”