By Lateef Adegbite
For years, the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, officials have been on the trail of the Cyber fraudsters popular, Yahoo boys in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and and other major cities in the country.
The Crackdown on the internet fraudsters was said to have become more pronounced s last year with the appointment of Abdulrasheed Bawa, as Chairman of the antigraft agency by President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General.
The Commission had arrested 67 of the internet fraudsters in Ogun and Ondo states in in different Operations in April 2021 and while 13 suspects played into the Commission hand in the south east zone in January 2022.
The Commission had secured the Conviction of three of the internet fraudsters in a PortHarcourt Court, Rivers state, last August. The conviction of the three suspects was said to have increased the number of internet Fraud Convictions recorded within the zone to 33 in one month.
Given the sophistication of the cyber fraudsters who have resorted in engaging in rituals and other Spiritual activities in order to beat the EFCC personnel to it may have informed why Bawa, the EFCC, Chairman has vowed to mobilise his boys ‘’to intensify efforts to clamp down on them without missing target.
The EFCC Chairman had told those who cares to listen that ‘’there is no going back in the fight against the yahoo boys, yahoo-plus,or whatever nomenclature’’ stressing that that ‘’it will no longer be business as usual for the internet fraudsters who have gone spiritual’’.
, Godwin Obaseki, a one-time political godson of Adams Oshiomhole, a former Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, PC,and now governor of Edo state, may not have seen anything wrong in the activities of the internet fraudsters.Describing the Cyber Fraudsters as brilliant for being able ‘’to do the kind of things they do, hack into other people’s accounts’’ . The south-south state governor had said that’’ the internet fraudsters brilliance could be ‘’redirected to a better cause instead of the EFCC condemning it’’.
The governor who was said to have spoken his mind at a recent town hall meeting on the state Education policy, at the Edo south Senatorial district for Parents, Community Leaders and other members of the School based Management Committee, under the state Basic Education sectorTransformation, Edo –Best Programme.
He may have gladdened the heart of the people when he promised to take up the matter of cyber fraud which has become very prolific in the state with Bawa, the EFCC boss on Monday, February 21, 2022. According to him, ‘’there must be reason why the internet Fraud culture has become more pronounced state, in the recent time and which must be tackled headlong o bring the situation under control.
He will would want the EFCC, to put in more efforts ‘’to find out the root cause of the increasing internet fraud in the state in order to address the challenges as the state government did in the past to stop human trafficking .Many see the Edo state ‘s governor’s remarks that the EFCC should re-direct the thinking of the Cyber fraudsters as a tacit support for the Criminal elements and which may force may others who had been sitting on the fence for fear of playing into the hands of the anti-graft agency officials to go back into the cyber crime.
Not many people were surprised that Governor Obaseki could initiate a meeting with the EFCC, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, to discuss about Cyber fraud and why it has become prolific in the Edo state and the need to stop it. In seeking re-election some two years ago, the Edo state governor had hinted of plans ‘’to train repentant yahoo boys who are into advanced use of Information Communication technology, ICT, to dupe people on other Vocational Skills in his proposed technology park in the state but that was how far he could go.
The EFCC, helmsman may not take the Obaseki’s suggestions serious ‘’to re-direct the thinking of the yahoo boys into some something more positive’’. This is because the Katsina state born Nigerian President had repeatedly said that the increasing usage of internet has caused corresponding rise in threats posed by, Cyber Criminals, online Financial Fraudsters and Cyber terrorists is causing ‘’apprehension in the country’’.
Bawa, the EFCC, Chairman, had said that the Commission recovered over N52 billion and $386 million between January and December2021 from the Computer –related frauds. It was said to have also recovered South African rand, 1.182 million, pound Sterling, 156,000 Euro, 1,723 million Saudi riyal, and 1,400 Canadian dollar, 1,900. This is in addition to a digital currency component with 5,36957319 Bitcoin and0.09012 Ethereum.
Even Ibrahim Magu, a Commissioner of Police and one- time Chairman of the Commission had revealed in 2019, that the Collaboration between the Commission and the North American country of Bureau of Investigation , FBI, had led to the recovery of the sums $314,000 and about N373 million from perpetrators of the internet fraudsters in 2019.
Given the determination of the Nigerian government to stop the activities of the internet Fraudsters in the country may have informed why the retired Army General ‘’unveiled the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy for 2021’’.
Note that until, His Excellency Governor Obaseki started thinking along the line of giving other Vocational Skills training to the repentant internet fraudsters, in the state because of their brilliance, the Nigerian President had alluded to the fact that the country has ‘’young and vibrant population that had the potential to exploit the internet revolution in developing the nation’s economy and improving national security’’.
It is not surprising why Nigerians are waiting to hear what may come out of the discussions between Governor Obasseki and the EFCC, Chairman, in their Monday February 21, 2022, planned meeting at the FCT.
