#The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised concerns over the increasing involvement of young people, including secondary school students, in internet fraud in Ekiti State.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, said the situation had become particularly worrying as some teenagers were allegedly abandoning their education to pursue quick wealth through cybercrime.
Olukoyede said that in some secondary schools, students reportedly leave school as early as noon and gather in hotels and other locations to engage in fraudulent activities.
He also expressed concern over the growing culture of celebrating unexplained wealth among young people, noting that some secondary school students were already driving vehicles despite having no legitimate means of earning such money.
According to the EFCC chairman, the consequences of internet fraud extend beyond financial crimes, as some individuals involved in cybercrime are allegedly connected to more serious criminal activities.
He said the commission had evidence linking some internet fraudsters to banditry and kidnapping, warning Nigerians not to treat “Yahoo Yahoo” as a harmless way of making money.
Olukoyede also raised concerns about the alleged use of internet fraudsters as channels for laundering stolen public funds.
He alleged that billions of naira obtained from government sources could be handed over to young fraudsters, who then use cryptocurrency wallets to move the funds outside Nigeria.
The EFCC chairman’s comments have also drawn attention to reports of a group of parents allegedly supporting or celebrating children involved in internet fraud. The group is popularly referred to in parts of Ekiti as the “Yahoo Mothers Association” or “Iya Omo-ologo.”
The development has sparked renewed debate over the role of parents and communities in tackling cybercrime, particularly the growing social acceptance of sudden wealth among young people.
Meanwhile, some hotel, lounge and entertainment business operators in Ekiti have complained that EFCC activities in the state have affected their businesses, with some claiming that patronage has dropped since the commission intensified its operations.
However, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, rejected claims that the commission was harassing legitimate businesses.
Oyewale maintained that EFCC officers operate professionally and do not conduct night operations or intimidate business owners.
He said the commission’s presence in Ekiti was aimed at protecting legitimate businesses and ensuring that activities capable of threatening lawful enterprises were addressed.
Oyewale assured law-abiding business owners that they had nothing to fear from the EFCC, stressing that the commission would continue to focus its operations on financial crimes and other unlawful activities.
The EFCC’s warning has renewed calls for parents, schools and community leaders to discourage young people from glorifying internet fraud and instead promote education, legitimate entrepreneurship and other lawful means of achieving financial success.
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