The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has called on parents and guardians to instill moral values in their children and wards to help curb cybercrime. She made this call on Wednesday at the Cybercrime Prevention Summit themed “Alternative to Cybercrime: Optimising Cyber Skills for National Security” in Abuja.
The summit was organized for journalists by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the EU-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (EU-ROLAC II) program. EU-ROLAC II is a program of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
Sen. Tinubu emphasized that cybercrime is not just a crime against individuals or businesses, but an assault on collective integrity, the nation’s economic stability, and the future of the youth. She stated, “Parents need to guide their children appropriately by inculcating good values, morals, and a sense of patriotism.”
She further urged the importance of fostering a culture of hard work rooted in honesty and dignity of labor among the youth. “Parents play a pivotal role in raising and guiding their children to be God-fearing. Bonds of trust and understanding should be created between parents and their children to allow for open communication, whereby their fears and insecurities could be addressed,” she added.
The First Lady noted that the fight against cybercrime is demanding and requires a multi-dimensional stakeholders approach.
Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukayode, raised concerns over the increasing rate of cybercrime in Nigeria, revealing that the country lost over $500 million to the menace in 2022. He mentioned that in the past year, the commission convicted 3,455 suspects involved in cybercrimes, with approximately 2,328 cases of cyber fraud occurring daily worldwide.
Olukayode highlighted projections from various sources indicating that global losses due to cybercrime may reach a staggering $10.5 trillion. He pointed out that advancements in technology have influenced the rise in cybercrimes, noting that individuals, referred to as “Yahoo boys,” have protested against the arrests of suspects.
He stated that the EFCC is shifting its operations from mere interrogation to actively providing solutions by redirecting the skills of Nigerian youths, who are highly resourceful and intelligent, to help combat the situation.