Crime
THE phenomenon of Yahoo-Yahoo which is a variant of cyber crime represents a dent on the image of Nigeria and requires concerted efforts by all to stem the ugly trend.
The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, disclosed this at a press conference in Enugu, where he highlighted milestones of the Commission’s fight against cybercrime, and its collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
He was represented by Usman Imam, head of Enugu office, who reeled out the achievements of the zone to include, securing 66 convictions, recovery of N213, 850,230 (Two Hundred and Thirteen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty Naira) and $10,600 (Ten Thousand, Six Hundred United States Dollars), several buildings and vehicles, from January till date.
A statement by Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, said that Magu further disclosed that the zone has also secured the interim forfeiture order of 47 exotic cars from yahoo-yahoo fraudsters, a 16 block of 96 flats and a bungalow, multi-million naira estate/hotel, 2 schools, 1 shopping plaza, 1 supermarket complex, all allegedly belonging to a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and his family members.
Other properties awaiting interim forfeiture, according to Magu, include a twin 3-storey building and a 3-bedroom bungalow and a duplex in Enugu.
“Here in Enugu Zonal Office, our operations against cybercrime which necessitated many raids in Enugu, Anambra and Imo states, usually follows petitions and intelligence reports from individuals, operatives, and in some cases, sister law enforcement agencies.
“For example,one Okpara Promise who was arrested in Owerri, Imo State after discreet surveillance was conducted on him, had his house searched and an incriminating document bearing Federal Bureau of Investigation Certificate of Inheritance, was recovered in his email, tufast40@yahoo.com . The document was forwarded to the office of the Legal Attache, United State Consulate, Victoria Island, Lagos for confirmation from FBI . Thereafter, a response from FBI revealed the said document to be fake, which informed the decision to charge the case to court. The suspect was later convicted,” he revealed.
Magu also called on parents ,the clergy and traditional rulers to take seriously their responsibilities, inculcating in the youth positive values that Nigerians were known for, and resist the temptation of eulogising criminals whose sources of wealth are unknown..
“Certainly, is unacceptable to see parents enjoying ill-gotten wealth of their children who they clearly know have no identifiable means of livelihood. Such also applies to the clergy and traditional rulers who rather than question suspiciously acquired wealth not only attribute it to God, but also bestow chieftancy titles on such individuals,” he said.
Magu equally charged the media to go beyond routine news gathering and engage in investigative journalism with a view to exposing criminals in the society.
– Sept. 5, 2019 @ 11:05 GMT |
Tags: a Threat to Nigeria's Future – Magu cybercrime
