The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed the agency’s intention to rehabilitate convicted internet fraudsters, commonly known as ‘Yahoo Boys.’
Olukoyede disclosed this during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Association of University Students to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, led by its President, Obadi Marshal, on Thursday.
Highlighting the initiative, Olukoyede emphasized the importance of reorienting the minds of convicts and channeling their energies towards constructive pursuits to benefit society.
“We have a plan to rehabilitate convicted internet fraudsters with lesser sentences. The plan is to work with the correctional center to make them useful and more productive in society,” stated Olukoyede.
He cautioned youths against engaging in cybercrimes, underscoring the severe consequences associated with such activities and the negative implications for their future.
Addressing the stigma associated with being labeled an “ex-convict,” Olukoyede stressed the importance of avoiding criminal involvement to preserve one’s reputation and opportunities in society.
In response, Marshal expressed NAUS’s commitment to partnering with the EFCC to combat cybercrimes within Nigerian universities, emphasizing the need to protect youths and safeguard the nation’s interests.
“The aim of our visit today is to see how we can synergize and partner with the EFCC in eradicating cybercrime in all higher institutions of learning in the country,” said Marshal. “NAUS has never been part of it and will never support it, that is why we are at the EFCC to see how we can collaborate to end it. The onus is on us all to save our youths from taking part in it and to save our country.”
