The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has attributed the tightening of visa requirements for Nigerians abroad to the growing involvement of citizens in internet fraud and money laundering.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede warned that cybercrime, popularly called yahoo-yahoo, undermines Nigeria’s economy and reputation.
He urged young people, particularly in the South-South region, to resist the lure of fraud, describing it as a trap that destroys lives and futures.
Internet fraud, money laundering, and economic sabotage cost Nigeria billions of naira annually, depriving citizens of infrastructure, jobs, and opportunities.
Beyond the economic impact, these crimes tarnish Nigeria’s international image and subject innocent citizens to stricter visa restrictions abroad,” Olukoyede said.
Speaking at a sensitisation programme organised by the Coalition of Nigerian Youth on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA), Olukoyede represented by CSE Coker Oyegunle, Head of the Advance Fee Fraud Section in Port Harcourt emphasised that the Commission would intensify awareness campaigns, enforcement, and collaboration with communities.
He cautioned youths that fraud offers no lasting success: Easy come, easy go. Many who follow the path of yahoo-yahoo’ lose their freedom, reputation, and future. The law is catching up with them, and digital footprints never disappear.”
Other speakers also highlighted related challenges facing Nigerian youths. NDLEA’s Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, Mathew Ewah, warned of the dangers of drug abuse, while NSCDC’s Kabiru Zakari stressed that pipeline vandalism destroys farmlands, health, and livelihoods.
The EFCC chairman encouraged young Nigerians to channel their skills into innovation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and the creative industries.
This comes after the Commission established a new Immigration Fraud Section in August 2024, with units in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano, to tackle growing cases of immigration-related fraud affecting Nigerians abroad.
