The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has expressed concern over the increasing involvement of youths, particularly young men in internet fraud, stating that the trend is destroying their future and damaging their mental health.
Olukoyede raised the concern in Abuja on Friday, March 16, 2025, at an event to mark the 2025 International Day of the Boy Child, held at the National Merit Award House.
“Cybercrime has become a pervasive threat, with far-reaching consequences. Young people, particularly boys, are vulnerable to its allure, often driven by financial gain, peer pressure, or a desire for excitement. The criminal dimension to cybercrime and the global resentment and outrage over its effects on humanity demand that we all rise up to treat it as a problem needing urgent solutions,” he said.
Olukoyede who spoke through, Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the Commission, ACE II Aisha Mohammed, further described cybercrime as a growing threat that must be urgently addressed, noting that cybercrime has significant mental health implications, notably anxiety, depression, fear of arrest, and long-term psychological trauma on youths that are involved in it.
“The mind is either a gold field or a furnace; gold field if it is healthy and furnace if it is unhealthy. Cybercrime has a tendency of distractions and destruction to our young boys,” he said.
To provide the youth alternatives to cybercrime, he revealed that the Commission was setting up a Cybercrime Research Centre, aimed at offering young people opportunities to explore innovation, digital literacy, and ethical conduct.
“The EFCC believes that there are alternatives to cybercrime and that criminal routes are not positive routes to a good future. We urge young people to make informed choices, reject the line of least resistance, and embrace values that lead to meaningful success,” he said.
In his goodwill message, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, General Buba Marwa (rtd), who was represented by Assistant Commander General, Mohammed Bashar, charged young people to develop resilience to unethical conducts and shun bad influences.
“There is no easy way to success. Do not listen to friends who try to lure you into drugs. Face your challenges and overcome them with courage and determination,” he said.
He called on parents to pay attention to the upbringing of the male child as much as they do to the girl child.
“Do not leave the responsibility of raising your children to teachers alone. Guide them, support them, and make them your friends,” he said.
In his remarks, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Mainasara Umar Kogo, urged parents to instill positive values in their children and discourage them from being influenced by bad elements in society.
“Try and socialize the brains of your children to prevent them from being misled into becoming bandits or kidnappers. Government should also ensure that education is accessible to every child. It must not be a privilege, but a right,” he said.