•EFCC moves in By Rotimi Ojomoyela For decades, Ekiti State has proudly wore the badge of Nigeria’s ‘Land of Honour’, a state celebrated for producing some of the country’s finest academics, professionals, public servants and intellectuals. Today, however, that cherished reputation is facing an unsettling challenge because behind the quiet streets of Ado-Ekiti and other towns, especially Ikere-Ekiti, lies a growing concern that has become difficult to ignore: The increasing involvement of young people, including secondary school students, in internet fraud, popularly known as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’. The trend has become so pronounced that recent operations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have reignited public debate about the scale of cybercrime in the state and the urgent need to rescue a generation increasingly attracted to the allure of quick wealth. Before now, some youths engaged in fraud with physical confidence tricks, fake spiritual claims and deception carried out in markets and public places but, today, technology has transformed the landscape. With smart phones, laptops, high-speed internet and social media platforms, cybercrime has become easier to organise and far more lucrative; fraudsters no longer need physical contact with victims, instead, they exploit digital platforms to target unsuspecting victims across Nigeria and overseas. It was even confirmed that parents of these young fraudsters, especially in Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, have organised themselves into an association, popularly known as ‘Iya Omo-ologo’. Little wonder, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, Ola Olukoyede, said, in an interview, that teenagers who should ordinarily be preparing for examinations are now spending hours learning online scamming techniques, creating fake social media profiles, communicating with foreign victims and searching for ways to make fast money. He said some students skip classes regularly, while others combine schooling with internet fraud, believing that academic qualifications are no longer necessary for financial success. His words, “I’m from a state where education is our pride. I’m from a state where the major enterprise we have is education. “If you go to the secondary school that I attended now, sir, by 12 noon, the students have left school. You see them in hotels, in groups, trying to scam people. You see secondary school students driving vehicles. “Is that the nation we want to build? Now, sir, let me tell you the most dangerous aspect of it. It’s not just about Yahoo Yahoo. Nigerians should know this. Some of them are into banditry. “We have evidence. We have proof. Some of them are into kidnapping. Yes, because when they don’t see people to scam, they kidnap. “Some of them now launder money for the politically exposed persons. So don’t just see them as Yahoo Boys anymore. The traditional way of stealing money is no longer applicable. “When they steal government money in billions now, they give it to all these boys. They open cryptocurrency wallet, crypto wallet and they put the money there. “From there, the money goes abroad. You can buy a house, you can buy vehicles, you can buy anything with your Bitcoin”. Economic anxiety Since the EFCC commissioned its new office in Ado-Ekiti in June, concerns have emerged from sections of the business community. Operators of hotels, lounges, restaurants and entertainment centres have reported declining customer traffic, attributing the situation to fears generated by the anti-graft agency’s operations. Some residents believe that individuals who previously spent lavishly in these establishments have either left the state or significantly reduced their public activities due to fear of investigation. For businesses that depended heavily on such clientele, the decline has translated into lower revenues and uncertainty about the future. However, the critical question remains whether an economy should depend on the spending power of individuals whose wealth may have questionable origins. Responding to allegations that the Commission’s operations are harming legitimate businesses, EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, insisted that the agency’s mandate is the exact opposite. According to him, the Commission exists to create an environment where lawful businesses can flourish without competition from criminal enterprises. He maintained that EFCC officers operate within established Standard Operating Procedures and do not engage in arbitrary harassment or intimidation of innocent citizens. His words, “We don’t harass and we don’t intimidate. We don’t do night operations. “Our officers are professionals; they know what to do. You only need to find out exactly the set of people making those all
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