We’ll rehabilitate Internet fraudsters, make them productive – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has expressed plans to recondition convicted Internet fraudsters commonly called ‘Yahoo boys’.

This was made known by the Chairman of the commission Ola Olukoyede, while receiving a delegation of the National Association of University Students led by its President, Obadi Marshal, during a courtesy visit in Abuja.

In a statement released of the meeting, Olukoyede said that the culprits would be  productive with reduced sentences with their skills channeled towards positive outcomes. 

Olukoyede said, “We have a plan to rehabilitate convicted internet fraudsters with lesser sentences. The plan is to work with the correctional centre to make them useful and more productive in society.

The EFCC boss cautioned youths against indulging in internet crimes, stressing that the implications of such an act are grave.

He added, “When you think deeply, that tag ‘ex-convict’ is not a good thing. You can never tell where you will find yourself tomorrow, and they will want to profile you and discover that you are an ex-convict.

“So, it is even in the interest of the youth that the EFCC is doing what it is doing to prevent them from indulging in the heinous act of cybercrime.

“The issue of dichotomies of associations is disturbing. Regulate yourselves and the society will take you more seriously.”

NAUS President assured of students’ commitment to joining the anti corruption fight. 

“The aim of our visit today is to see how we can synergize and partner with the EFCC in eradicating cybercrime in all the higher institutions of learning in the country,” he said.

“NAUS has never been part of it and will never support it, that is why we are at the EFCC to see how we can collaborate to end it. The onus is on us all to save our youths from taking part in it and to save our country.”