Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa has cautioned youths across the country against fraudulent use of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, urging them to be more creative and problem-solvers for the overall good of the country.
Bawa made the appeal on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at the Grand Finale of Girls in ICT ConnectLive Season 6, held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. According to him, there are ample opportunities and possibilities that can be explored on the internet without necessarily breaking any law.
“Internet fraud shrinks the thinking space for positive engagements and its criminality is the death knell of originality. Girls in ICT should make a difference in this respect and challenge fraudulent actors on the net by the strength of your innovation. I am eager to see Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and others like them produced from among you girls in ICT.” he said.
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The EFCC’s boss, who spoke through the Head of Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the Commission, Aisha Mohammed, stressed that the Commission is determined to redirect the minds of youths to useful and socially-desirable engagements, adding that defrauding other people of their hard-earned money and other resources through internet fraud is evil, aside from being illegal.
“We will continue to launch offensives against internet fraudsters and other criminal elements and I urge you to resist every temptation of using dishonest means to achieve wealth or fame.” he said.
Speaking earlier, Convener of the programme and publisher of Noble Africa, Princess Ife, thanked the EFCC for always supporting the affairs of her publication. She urged the girls in ICT to be focused in their endeavours and believe in themselves.
Also at the event, Chairman of the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. General Buba Marwa(retd), represented by Nweke Angela Oluchi, decried rising involvement of youths in drug addiction, describing it as alarming.
According to him, “14.5 million Nigerians between the ages of 15-40 engage in drugs, and out of every four, one is a woman”. He therefore called on youths to stay away from drugs and bad friends that may negatively influence them.