By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on students of tertiary institutions in the country to maximize the internal control mechanisms of their schools in tackling cybercrime in their campuses, just as they did against campus cultism.
“I recall that many years ago in this country, tertiary students through the leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS initiated a nationwide denouncement of cultism, having taken advantage of the internal control mechanisms of tertiary institutions and that brought about drastic reduction in cultism and till date, we hear less cases of cultism in the campuses.
Today, the leadership of NANS must adopt the same measures in tackling the menace of cybercrime among Nigerian students rather than make themselves available as political thugs due to personal gains. NANS used to be a watchdog against politicians many years ago but it seems the body has lost focus,” he said.
Dele Oyewale the commission’s spokesperson in an official signed statement disclosed that Olukoyede made the call through the Acting Director, Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim when she received the delegation of Southwest Executive members of NANS, led by its newly elected coordinator, Comrade Taiwo Owolewa.
Olukoyede, while congratulating the Owolewa on his emergence, urged him to make his tenure standout by fully supporting the EFCC against cybercrime through initiating programmes across tertiary institutions in the Southwest that would sensitize and re-orientate students to shun corruption and more importantly cybercrime and focus on their studies and explore legitimate ways of making money.
As a major stakeholder in the fight against corruption and financial crimes, he charged NANS not to provide cover for any student cybercriminal on campus.
“It is worrisome that 90 percent of the youths arrested for internet fraud these days are students, even secondary school students are now fully involved,” he said.
In his remarks, Owolewa thanked Ringim for her interest in the moral development of students in the Southwest, especially in guiding them away from cybercrimes.
“The Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, under the leadership of Hajiya Hauwa Garba Ringim has truly shown courage in the fight against cybercrime and her collaborative efforts cannot be jettisoned among Southwest tertiary students on our campuses. NANS as a major stakeholder in the fight against internet fraud will lend its voice and take actions to combat the menace on our campuses.
Programmes are ongoing on campuses to sensitize students on legitimate self-reliance and adopting the willingness to blow the whistle on any perpetrator of internet fraud among students,” he said.
