The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has called on Nigerian women to continue to lend their voices to the anti-graft campaign of the Commission, as part of efforts to check the menace of youth involvement in cybercrimes in the country.
The Zonal Commander of the EFCC in Lagos, Ahmed Ghali, gave the charge at the weekend while delivering a paper titled, “The Menace of Internet Fraud And Its Consequences On The Economy, Youths’ Development” at a seminar organized by the Catholic Women Organisation, CWO, Nigeria Lagos Archdiocese, Ikeja Deanery, in Lagos.
While urging women to pay more attention to the lifestyles of their children as well as the company they keep, Ghali berated those who aid and abet their children to commit internet fraud.
He said: “As mothers, you are expected to be role models and the moral compass of your children. It is sad to note that some mothers encourage acts of criminality.”
Ghali, who spoke through DCE Ayo Oyewole Head, Public Affairs Directorate, and CSE Paul Okoli, Head of Advance Fee Fraud Section of the EFCC in Lagos, urged mothers to be alive to their responsibilities and promote the old family values and ethos of honesty, good character and integrity.
“The family is the baseline for societal values. But the quest for instant wealth has eroded the old norms that make hard work and dignity of labour the guiding principle in life.
“We are inviting you to lend your voices to the efforts of the EFCC in helping us to build a society driven by values and not infamous “Yahoo-Yahoo “, which has taken a dangerous dimension“, he added
He further tasked them to use their platform as a faith-based women organisation to reach out to other women across the country on the need to drum up support for the EFCC in the fight against computer-related fraud.
Highlighting some of the consequences of internet frauds, Ghali added that ” it has negatively impacted the reputation of our country, as every Nigerian is now seen as a potential fraudster.”
Ghali, who said both the economy and the education sector are not immune to the evil of internet fraud, further said: “ No doubts, the youth hold the key to the future of the country. So, we must ensure that our children avoid criminal tendencies and be the great persons God has destined them to be.
“We must also encourage them to pursue a decent lifestyle because “Yahoo-Yahoo” is not a sustainable way of life.”
