4th September, 2019
Forty eight Internet fraud suspects are being prosecuted in court by the Kaduna office of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a figure that shows that cybercrimes have become an epidemic in the country.
In Enugu, the EFCC zonal head declared cybercrime, a variant of which is Yahoo-Yahoo, represent a dent on the image of Nigeria and requires concerted efforts by all to stem it.
Mailafia Yakubu, Zonal head of the EFCC in Kaduna disclosed the figure of cybercrime suspects being prosecuted at a media briefing where he updated the public on activities of the Commission in the zone.
He said that the Kaduna office, from January to date, received 345 petitions and investigated 286 cases. He added that 52 of the cases had been forwarded to legal department for advice while 56 cases involving 48 suspected internet fraudsters are already before the court, while 23 persons have been convicted.
The briefing which is coming on the heels of the recent arrest of some Nigerians by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, in the United States also offered the zonal head the opportunity to restate the Commission’s determination to comprehensively tackle all cases of computer-based fraud in the country.
He said the EFCC has a long history of collaboration with the FBI, noting that a number of investigations based on this synergy are currently ongoing.
Yakubu, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu, lamented the negative effect of cybercrime on the country’s image and called on citizens to be vigilant not to fall victim of the crime.
While thanking Nigerians for their immense contributions to the fight against corruption, the Zonal head advised parents to monitor the lifestyle of their wards as youth are mostly targeted for recruitment into cybercrime cells by organized criminal groups.
Usman Imam, head of Enugu office, said the EFCC is collaborating with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) to fight cybercrime.
The zone secured the interim forfeiture order of 47 exotic cars from yahoo-yahoo fraudsters.
The EFCC also secured interim forfeiture order of 16 blocks of 96 flats and a bungalow, multi-million naira estate/hotel, 2 schools, 1 shopping plaza, 1 supermarket complex, all allegedly belonging to a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and his family members.
Other properties awaiting interim forfeiture include a twin 3-storey building and a 3-bedroom bungalow and a duplex in Enugu.
“ Here in Enugu Zonal Office, our operations against cybercrime which necessitated many raids in Enugu, Anambra and Imo states, usually follows petitions and intelligence reports from individuals, operatives, and in some cases, sister law enforcement agencies.”
“ For example,one Okpara Promise who was arrested in Owerri, Imo State after discreet surveillance was conducted on him, had his house searched and an incriminating document bearing Federal Bureau of Investigation Certificate of Inheritance, was recovered in his email, [email protected] .
“The document was forwarded to the office of the Legal Attache, United States Consulate, Victoria Island,Lagos for confirmation from FBI . Thereafter, a response from FBI revealed the said document to be fake, which informed the decision to charge the case to court. The suspect was later convicted”, he revealed.
The zone overall secured 66 convictions and recovered N213, 850,230 and $10,600, several buildings and vehicles, from January till date.
Usman called on parents ,the clergy and traditional rulers to take seriously their responsibilities, inculcating in the youth positive values that Nigerians were known for, and resist the temptation of eulogising criminals whose sources of wealth are unknown.
“ Certainly, it is unacceptable to see parents enjoying ill-gotten wealth of their children who they clearly know have no identifiable means of livelihood. Such also applies to the clergy and traditional rulers who rather than question suspiciously acquired wealth not only attribute it to God, but also bestow chieftaincy titles on such individuals.”