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EFCC blames internet fraud for tougher foreign travel conditions
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Chairman Olukoyede urges youths to avoid ‘yahoo-yahoo’ traps
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Commission intensifies clampdown with arrests and convictions
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned that the surge in internet fraud is worsening visa restrictions for Nigerians, placing innocent citizens under tighter scrutiny abroad.
Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, speaking through Chief Superintendent CSE Coker Oyegunle at a youth security forum in Port Harcourt, said fraudulent activities are not only destroying futures but also damaging Nigeria’s international reputation.
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His remarks were contained in a release issued by the commission on Tuesday.
“The EFCC boss highlighted that internet fraud, money laundering, and economic sabotage cost Nigeria billions of naira annually, undermining national growth and depriving citizens of infrastructure, jobs, and opportunities. Beyond the economic damage, he pointed out that the crimes erode Nigeria’s international image and subject innocent Nigerians to stricter visa restrictions abroad,” the statement read.
Mr Olukoyede urged young people in the South-South and across the country to redirect their energy into productive sectors such as digital innovation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and the creative industry.
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He was quoted as saying: “Fraud is not success; it is a trap. Easy come, easy go. Many who follow the path of ‘yahoo-yahoo’ always end up losing their freedom, reputation, and future. The law is catching up with them and digital footprints never disappear. Don’t destroy your tomorrow with shortcuts today.”
The EFCC has intensified its nationwide campaign against cybercrime, combining enforcement with sensitisation. In August, operatives from its Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 arrested 38 suspected internet fraudsters at Mambillah Hotel in Ikorodu, recovering vehicles, mobile phones and narcotic substances. Similarly, the Benin Zonal Directorate secured the conviction of 12 individuals, including two brothers, on fraud-related charges before Justice M. Itsueli of Edo State High Court.
At the Port Harcourt event, other security agencies also raised concerns, with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency warning against rising drug abuse among youths and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps cautioning against pipeline vandalism in the South-South.
