The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon Dayo, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to collaborate to tackle the rate of internet fraud among youths in Nigeria.
In a statement by the EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale on Friday, the President’s Aide made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede in his office on Thursday.
He noted that perpetrators of internet crimes are being propelled by drug intake, therefore, the anti-graft agency should work in synergy with the drug law enforcement agency to tackle the menace.
According to him, “Cybercrimes are getting worse because youths indulging in them are propelled by drugs. I think the EFCC and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, need to come together and create more awareness against the menace. ”
He, however, regretted that some lecturers and campus workers are also getting involved in the crimes even as he called for the establishment of EFCC Clubs on every campus in Nigeria to aid in the sensitization of students on the dangers of corruption.
While urging the EFCC to consider giving internet fraudsters serving jail terms amnesty to ease their reformation and re-integration into the society, Dayo applauded the Commission’s new protocol on night operations, stressing that criminals have been hiding under nocturnal operations to perpetrate heinous crimes in the name of the EFCC.
Responding, the EFCC’s boss said the Commission was open to every interest group, especially student unions with genuine interests for collaboration to fight corruption and other related financial crimes. He explained that his concerns about the prevalence of internet crimes among youths were misconstrued, stressing that “youths can survive and succeed by doing the right things”.