President Bola Tinubu has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sustain the fight against the scourge of internet crimes and other acts of corruption, saying Nigeria is not a nation of fraudsters.

Tinubu said this at a one-day public engagement on youth, religion and fight against corruption, and the launch of Fraud Risk Assessment Project for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) organised by the EFCC in Abuja on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

The president said the disturbing contagion of cybercrimes has been a challenge and slur on the image of the nation, urging EFCC to spare no effort in tackling it more frontally.

He said: “Our country is not a nation of fraudsters and the pejorative reference to internet crimes as the ‘Nigerian scam’ across the world is unfair, untenable, and unacceptable. Cybercrimes, to all intents and purposes, are a global phenomenon.

“Today’s world is run real-time on the internet. Governance, businesses, institutions, and even individual domestic affairs are dependent on the internet. Cybercriminals are, therefore, a threat to the rest of the world. This is why no effort or expense should be spared in confronting the evil. I want to assure the EFCC that the government will continue to offer its support in its quest to kill the dragon that internet offences have become.”

Court jails 17 internet fraudsters in Oyo, Ogun

Tinubu, who spoke through Vice President Kashim Shettima, expressed the government’s determination to give corruption hard tackles, saying: “We cannot be focused on growth and development and at the same time offer any breathing space to corrupt practices. No nation grows without breaking the fangs of corruption.

“The EFCC has been duly instructed to do its job at all times without any extraneous considerations. The Renewed Hope agenda of our government is impervious to corruption. We should all join hands together to move Nigeria in a new direction of purpose.”

Also speaking at the event, the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, took a retrospective look at the efforts and profile of the commission over the years in tackling corruption and noted that, though much ground had been covered by the anti-graft agency in the areas of convictions and recoveries, the un-abating trend of corrupt practices across the country called for serious concerns.

To address the situation, Olukoyede called for greater emphasis on prevention of crimes through well-thought-out and coordinated efforts of the EFCC.

The EFCC boss also stated that the commission is prioritising two areas of concern which is the involvement of youth in cybercrimes and the susceptibility of MDAs to grand corruption.

EFCC intercepts N7bn from religious body laundering money for terrorists

Olukoyede, therefore, called on the management of tertiary institutions to rise to the challenge of mentoring youths on the right path of life.

On his part, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said corruption remains the major challenge of the country.

Okoh said: “Corruption remains one of the major challenges that we have in our country, the albatross that hampers development and stifles the potentials of the youths.

“Corruption undermines the principles of justice, fairness, and equality, eroding the very fabrics of the society; it is a cancer that eats away the trust and integrity of institutions, hindering progress and development. It discourages hard work, dignity of labour, honesty, and respect for one another and creates a wicked generation that destroys the future of their nation.

Others who spoke at the event were the Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, His Eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar; and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; among others.

The Star