EFCC Raises Alarm Over Youths’ Rush for Illicit Wealth

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned interested parties that a large number of Nigerian teenagers are involved in fraudulent internet operations that compete for undeserved wealth.

In a statement released on Friday under the heading “EFCC Decries Youths’ Involvement in Cybercrime in Lagos,” this information was revealed.

In a seminar titled “The Role of the Boy Child in Community Development and Safety,” which was hosted by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Ahmed Ghali, the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, made this statement.
He voiced his alarm about the nation’s youth engagement in cybercrime.

Young People’s Alleged Crime Involvement
Ghali says that a lot of young people have sacrificed their futures due to overzealous ambition.
He went on to say that “many young people are not only immoral but have also fallen victim to the unjustified pursuit of wealth through dishonest online activities.”
Ghali said that even though the young people’s ambitions are lovely, they may be doomed from the beginning if they don’t adopt a culture of honesty and discipline.
“The cause is obvious: a growing number of young people are turning to antisocial behaviors that can disturb the peace, hurt people, or harm the environment. Internet fraud has become a frequent sport among many young people, in addition to the well-known antisocial behaviors,” he continued.

He pointed out that a lot of young people in Nigeria today have an unquenchable drive to use the internet to earn money and grow financially, but he also pointed out that the majority’s strategy has been flawed.
When you utilize the internet properly, it can help you advance financially and provide you the opportunity to support the growth of your community. You will not only hurt your gullible victims if you decide to use the internet for illegal activities, but you will also put your own objectives in danger.

He said that instead of wasting their time and energy on schemes that defraud innocent people and organizations, young people should focus their energy and inventiveness on investigating respectable online revenue streams.
Additional Details
The PCRC’s Chairman, Bode Thomas Division/Organizing Secretary, Area C Command, Surulere, Lagos State, Prince Samuel Olaoluwa Akintoye, stated in his remarks that the program’s goal was to raise a generation of morally upright, patriotic, and responsible youth who would not only better their own lives but also advance Nigeria’s social progress.
He emphasized that the goal of the project is to offer a worthwhile chance to involve stakeholders and offer direction on negotiating the intricate routes to achieving their goals.
He believed that young people should consider how they might help their communities come together.
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Lagos, President Chief Alaka Yusuf Lukman Owolabi, and Prof. (Mrs.) Aderonke Lawal-Are, Director of the University of Lagos’ Center for General Studies/Department of Marine Sciences, were among those who attended the occasion, according to the release.
Things You Need to Understand
This comes months after the EFCC warned Nigerians about intelligence showing that online scammers are, among other crimes, now carrying firearms and carrying out ritual killings.

Internet fraudsters’ actions are growing more and more dangerous for public safety and security, the Commission added.

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“These criminals are involved in kidnapping, banditry, ritual killings, and other horrific activities, and intelligence has revealed that they are armed. The EFCC has declared that the people should not give up or let itself be tricked into believing that they are just “Yahoo boys and girls.”

When the anti-graft agency expressed its sorrow over the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE11 Aminu Sahabi Harisu, on January 17, 2025, it was reported that he was killed in cold blood while performing his official duties while pursuing Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu, a suspected online fraudster.