Joseph Bakare
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has assured that the anti-graft war will continue to be broad-based, holistic and unsparing of anyone linked with any form of economic and financial crimes.
He gave the assurance in Abuja on Sunday, March 31, 2024 at an Anti-Corruption Concert organized to create greater awareness and public involvement in the fight against internet crimes. Olukoyede pointed to the strides being made since he assumed office a couple of months ago and reaffirmed his commitment to an all-embracing, fully-integrated war against corrupt practices.
‘’We will not spare anyone. We will not spare the mega thieves. As we are doing the mega, we will also do those at the lower end. In the last two months, we have arranged two former governors. So, it is not true that we are only focused on internet fraudsters. Of course, internet fraud is bad enough but our focus is on every form of economic and financial crimes”, he said.
He cautioned youths against indulgence in internet-related offences, pointing out that the consequences of being convicted for such crimes are grave. “Youths need to know that being ex-convicts has career limitations. Ex-convicts can’t run for public offices, the stigma alone is even terrible. So, I urge you to avoid internet crimes by all means. Your future is more important than any immediate gains from such crimes”, he said.
Olukoyede says that the EFCC under his watch is deeply interested in giving youths a glorious and sustainable future and to this effect, “ a Cyber Crime Research Centre is being planned in the New Academy of the EFCC. The Centre will involve youths in in-depth research about the issue of cyber crime. Their energies will be deployed towards profitable engagements”
He further charged the youths to embrace hard work and diligence, stressing that “ the path of success is the path of hard work and dignity. There is dignity in labour. Let’s come together. All of us must come together and agree that corruption is evil. Don’t’ leave the fight to EFCC alone”
In his charge to the youths at the concert, Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande enjoined youths across the country to support the EFCC in its crusade against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption. “Nigeria is supposed to have progressed more than this. We will not allow corrupt people to destroy our future, that is why we need to come together and fight this evil in our society, that is why we need to continuously run this campaign because I am convinced that everyone of us have a part to play, without you, there is little or nothing EFCC can do. Let’s show the world that Nigeria young people are determined to change the narrative”, he said