The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged undergraduates across the country to shun cybercrime and embrace cybersecurity, warning that involvement in internet fraud could damage their future and career prospects.
The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, 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 headquarters in Abuja.
Olukoyede, who was represented by the Head of the Public Interface Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Tony Ojelimafe Orilade, said the fight against corruption and economic and financial crimes required the collective efforts of Nigerians.
He said Nigeria was endowed with abundant natural resources but continued to face the challenge of corruption, stressing that the EFCC could not tackle the menace alone.
“We need you in this fight against economic and financial crimes because Nigeria is so blessed with natural resources but there is an issue of corruption and that is why the EFCC was set up to fight the menace,” he said.
The EFCC chairman urged the students to report suspicious activities and take responsibility for supporting efforts to reduce corruption in the country.
He said citizens should not ignore wrongdoing, urging them to “say something” whenever they encountered suspicious activities.
Olukoyede also warned the students against internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo”, saying the consequences could go beyond imprisonment to affect employment, education and international travel opportunities.
He urged the students to protect their family names and become ambassadors of their families by avoiding criminal activities.
Also speaking, the Head of the Commission’s Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Aisha Mohammed, urged the students to take ownership of the anti-corruption campaign.
Mohammed said the EFCC’s mandate covered the prevention, investigation and prosecution of economic and financial crimes, adding that the Commission had established programmes to promote integrity among young people.
She disclosed that the EFCC operates Integrity Clubs in primary and secondary schools and Zero Tolerance Clubs in tertiary institutions.
Mohammed urged the students to resist peer pressure, avoid greed and remain content with what they have.
In a lecture titled “Cybercrime and Its Menace,” a detective from the EFCC Cybercrime Unit, Ogunjobi Olalekan, explained that cybercrime could broadly be classified into cyber-dependent and cyber-enabled crimes.
Olalekan warned the students against offences including cyberstalking, unauthorised access to computer systems, possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material and sextortion.
He also cautioned against recording or sharing nude images, noting that such acts could have serious consequences for victims, perpetrators, their families and society.
According to him, cybercrime could result in financial losses, identity theft, emotional distress, reputational damage, loss of opportunities and psychological trauma.
Rather than engaging in cybercrime, Olalekan encouraged the students to consider cybersecurity as a viable career path and use their university years to develop specialised skills.
“You can use these four years to fine-tune your life,” he said, noting that skilled cybersecurity professionals could work remotely for organisations across different countries.
The Head of the Department of Cybersecurity, Dr Jamilu Yahaya Maipan-Uku, who represented the university, said the visit was organised to expose students to the practical realities of cybercrime and cybersecurity.
Maipan-Uku said the EFCC was among the agencies whose activities were directly relevant to the students’ field of study, making the Commission an important institution for their practical understanding of cybercrime.
He said the university was interested in establishing a stronger relationship with the EFCC, including exploring internship opportunities for its students.
The don also appealed to the Commission to support the university’s cybersecurity programme with forensic laboratory facilities and other relevant tools.
He said the university was willing to partner with the EFCC in training students and developing cybersecurity expertise.