EFCC To Youths: Avoid Cybercrime, Protect Your Future

​The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sounded a stern warning to Nigerian students against getting entangled in cybercrime and other financial malpractices, cautioning that internet fraud carries grave consequences that can permanently ruin their academic pursuits, career prospects, and global reputation.

​The Executive Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ola Olukoyede, delivered this warning on Tuesday at the Commission’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, during an interactive educational visit by management, staff, and students of New Capital School, Asokoro, Abuja.

​Represented by Assistant Commander Tony Ojelimafe Orilade, Head of the EFCC’s Public Interface Unit, Olukoyede emphasized that the commission remains unyielding in its war against economic crimes to safeguard the destiny of the younger generation. He noted that the agency, operational since 2003, is committed to dismantling the structures of financial crimes that threaten Nigeria’s socioeconomic growth.

​“The reason why we are fighting these economic and financial crimes is so that there will be a future for you and the generations yet unborn. If we do not fight these crimes, when you grow up, there will be nothing to be proud of as a Nigerian,” Olukoyede stated.

​The EFCC boss noted that systemic corruption and the diversion of public resources rob citizens of fundamental necessities, including qualitative education, robust healthcare infrastructure, and sustainable job creation. He reiterated that the commission is actively working to create a stable domestic environment where graduates can secure gainful employment and access reliable local amenities, rather than feeling pressured to migrate abroad.

​Urging the students to stay away from the popular cybercrime subculture known locally as ‘Yahoo Yahoo,’ Olukoyede stressed that a criminal conviction leaves an indelible blemish on an individual’s profile, hindering international mobility and professional progression. “Run away from internet fraud. It is not something to think of,” he warned.

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​Reinforcing the Chairman’s message, Aisha Mohammed, Head of the EFCC’s Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, explained that the agency’s preventive framework relies heavily on stakeholder engagement. She encouraged students to sign up for school-based Integrity Clubs, which are designed to actively involve young minds in grassroots anti-corruption advocacy.

​As part of the study tour, Eniola Kayode, a detective attached to the Cybercrime Unit of the Investigation Department, delivered a detailed lecture outlining the legal and psychological tolls of online fraud, hacking, and identity theft. She urged students to practice vigilance, break the culture of silence, and immediately report online threats or suspicious solicitation to parents, educators, or law enforcement.