The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged Nigerian undergraduates to reject cybercrime and become active participants in the fight against corruption and economic and financial crimes.
Olukoyede gave the charge when staff and 100-level students of the Department of Cybersecurity, Abdulkadir Kure University, Niger State, visited the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by the Head of the Commission’s Public Interface Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Tony Ojelimafe Orilade, the EFCC chairman said the fight against corruption could not be left to the Commission alone.
According to him, Nigeria’s abundant natural resources have not translated into the desired level of development partly because of corruption, making collective action necessary to tackle the problem.
We cannot do it all alone. We need everybody. We need you because this fight is not the fight for the staff of the Commission. It is not the fight for the EFCC Chairman. It is a fight for the betterment of this country, Nigeria,” Olukoyede said.
He encouraged the students to report suspicious activities and speak up whenever they encounter acts capable of undermining the country’s economic and financial wellbeing.
Olukoyede said young Nigerians have an important role to play in reducing corruption, urging them not to adopt the attitude that wrongdoing is somebody else’s concern.
He also warned the students against internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” stressing that the consequences of cybercrime could extend beyond arrest or imprisonment.
The EFCC chairman noted that having a criminal record could affect a young person’s future employment opportunities, educational prospects and ability to travel internationally.
He urged the students to protect their family names and build careers that would make their communities proud.
Be an ambassador. Represent your family. Your family has a name. Don’t destroy that name, he said.
Also speaking during the visit, the Head of the EFCC’s Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Aisha Mohammed, urged the students to take personal responsibility for promoting integrity and rejecting corruption.
Mohammed explained that the EFCC’s mandate covers the prevention, investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes, adding that the Commission also runs programmes designed to promote ethical values among young Nigerians.
“You need to understand that this fight against corruption is for everyone. You have to own it. It is not EFCC alone. If Nigeria is bad, it is also us that will suffer it. So we have to understand that we have to fight this fight together,” she said.
She disclosed that the EFCC operates Integrity Clubs in primary and secondary schools, as well as Zero Tolerance Clubs in tertiary institutions.
Mohammed urged the students to resist peer pressure, avoid greed and learn to appreciate legitimate opportunities rather than seeking quick wealth through criminal activities.
A Detective with the EFCC Cybercrime Unit, Ogunjobi Olalekan, also delivered a lecture titled “Cybercrime and Its Menace,” during which he explained the major categories of cybercrime.
According to him, cybercrime can broadly be classified into cyber-dependent crimes, which rely directly on computer systems or networks, and cyber-enabled crimes, in which technology is used to facilitate traditional forms of criminal activity.
Olalekan warned the students against cyberstalking, unauthorised access to computer systems and the possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material.
He also highlighted the dangers of sextortion and the recording or distribution of nude images, noting that such activities can cause serious and lasting harm to victims.
The EFCC officer said the consequences of cybercrime extend beyond the immediate victim or perpetrator, potentially affecting families and the wider society.
Among the consequences he identified were financial losses, identity theft, emotional distress, reputational damage, broken relationships, loss of educational and employment opportunities, and psychological trauma.
The engagement formed part of the EFCC’s broader efforts to educate young Nigerians on the dangers of economic and financial crimes while encouraging students studying cybersecurity and related disciplines to use their skills positively in protecting Nigeria’s digital space.
