BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged undergraduates of tertiary institutions to reject internet fraud and other forms of cybercrime, encouraging them instead to deploy their knowledge and skills in cybersecurity to protect society and contribute to the fight against corruption.
EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, gave the charge when staff and 100-level students of the Department of Cybersecurity, Abdulkadir Kure University, Niger State, visited the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Olukoyede, who was represented by the Head of the Commission’s Public Interface Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Tony Ojelimafe Orilade, said the responsibility of combating economic and financial crimes could not be shouldered by the EFCC alone.
He called on the students to become active participants in efforts to reduce corruption, stressing that the consequences of corruption affect the entire society.
“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,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also encouraged the students to speak up whenever they encountered suspicious activities, urging them not to regard the fight against corruption as somebody else’s responsibility.
He said collective action could help reduce corruption to the barest minimum.
Olukoyede further warned the students against “yahoo yahoo” and other forms of internet fraud, noting that involvement in cybercrime could have consequences that extend beyond possible imprisonment.
According to him, a criminal record could affect young people’s prospects in employment, education and international travel.
He urged the students to protect their family names and build careers that would earn them respect.
“Be an ambassador. Represent your family. Your family has a name. Don’t destroy that name,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of the EFCC Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, ACE II Aisha Mohammed, charged the students to take ownership of the anti-corruption campaign.
Mohammed explained that the Commission’s mandate covers the prevention, investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes, adding that the EFCC had also introduced initiatives designed to promote integrity among young Nigerians.
She said the fight against corruption required the participation of every citizen because the consequences of a corrupt society were borne by everyone.
She disclosed that the Commission operates Integrity Clubs in primary and secondary schools and Zero Tolerance Clubs in tertiary institutions.
Mohammed urged the students to resist peer pressure, shun greed and learn to appreciate what they have rather than allowing the desire for quick wealth to push them into criminal activities.
In a presentation on “Cybercrime and Its Menace,” Detective Ogunjobi Olalekan of the EFCC Cybercrime Unit explained that cybercrime broadly consists of cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled offences.
He cautioned the students against offences including cyberstalking, unauthorised access to computer systems, sextortion and the possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material.
Olalekan particularly warned against recording or sharing nude images, stressing that such acts could cause serious harm to victims while also exposing perpetrators to legal consequences.
He identified financial losses, identity theft, emotional distress, reputational damage, damaged relationships, loss of opportunities and psychological trauma among the effects associated with cybercrime.
Rather than using their technical knowledge for criminal purposes, he encouraged the students to build professional careers in cybersecurity.
Olalekan urged them to use their university years to acquire specialised skills that could position them for opportunities in Nigeria and abroad.
“You can use these four years to fine-tune your life,” he said, noting that qualified cybersecurity professionals could work remotely for organisations in different parts of the world.
The Head of the Department of Cybersecurity, Dr Jamilu Yahaya Maipan-Uku, who represented the university, said the visit was organised to give students practical exposure to the realities of cybercrime and the importance of cybersecurity.
He said the EFCC was particularly relevant to the students because of its role in investigating and prosecuting cybercrime-related offences.
According to him, the university wanted the students to receive firsthand information about cybercrime, its consequences and the practical responsibilities associated with their chosen profession.
Maipan-Uku said the university was also interested in strengthening its relationship with the EFCC, including exploring opportunities for students to undertake internships with the Commission.
He appealed to the EFCC to consider supporting the university’s cybersecurity programme with forensic laboratory facilities and other relevant equipment.
The university, he added, was prepared to collaborate with the Commission in training students and developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
