The head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has said the agency wants to help re-educate convicted internet scammers with shorter prison terms.
The commission released a statement on Friday, stating that Olukoyede discussed this on Thursday during a visit from the National Association of University Students, led by President Obadi Marshal, in Abuja.
The EFCC leader mentioned that the rehabilitation is aimed at changing the mindset of the convicts and redirecting their energy towards positive activities.
Olukoyede explained, “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.”
He warned young people against getting involved in internet crimes, emphasizing the serious consequences of such actions.
He also cautioned students against forming separate organizations with similar goals.
The EFCC leader 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.”
Speaking earlier, Marshal said the visit was to build synergy with the EFCC in its fight against cybercrimes across Nigerian university campuses.
“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.”
