The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has expressed concern over the increasing involvement of youths, particularly young men in internet fraud, stating that the trend is destroying their future and damaging their mental health.
Olukoyede raised the concern in Abuja on Friday, March 16, 2025, at an event to mark the 2025 International Day of the Boy Child, held at the National Merit Award House.
“Cybercrime has become a pervasive threat, with far-reaching consequences. Young people, particularly boys, are vulnerable to its allure, often driven by financial gain, peer pressure, or a desire for excitement. The criminal dimension to cybercrime and the global resentment and outrage over its effects on humanity demand that we all rise up to treat it as a problem needing urgent solutions,” he said.
Olukoyede who spoke through, Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the Commission, ACE II Aisha Mohammed, further described cybercrime as a growing threat that must be urgently addressed, noting that cybercrime has significant mental health implications, notably anxiety, depression, fear of arrest, and long-term psychological trauma on youths that are involved in it.
“The mind is either a gold field or a furnace; gold field if it is healthy and furnace if it is unhealthy. Cybercrime has a tendency of distractions and destruction to our young boys,” he said.
To provide the youth alternatives to cybercrime, he revealed that the Commission was setting up a Cybercrime Research Centre, aimed at offering young people opportunities to explore innovation, digital literacy, and ethical conduct.
“The EFCC believes that there are alternatives to cybercrime and that criminal routes are not positive routes to a good future. We urge young people to make informed choices, reject the line of least resistance, and embrace values that lead to meaningful success,” he said.
