In a significant effort to tackle the rising threat of cybercrime in Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) unveiled a 24-hour Cybercrime Rapid Response Desk on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.
The initiative was launched by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the National Cybercrime Summit.
The Rapid Response Desk is designed to facilitate immediate public reporting of cybercrime incidents, ensuring swift responses from the EFCC. It features both local and international phone numbers, allowing residents to reach out anytime regarding matters related to cybercrime.
The summit, themed “Alternatives to Cybercrime: Optimizing Cyber Skills for National Development,” included panel discussions aimed at creating frameworks to shield youths from cybercrime.
It also featured an awards presentation for winners of the EFCC’s 2024 Essay Competition, which offered cash prizes ranging from N350,000 to N800,000, and showcased a documentary on the EFCC’s activities under the leadership of Mr. Ola Olukoyede.
The documentary highlighted that between October 2023 and September 2024, the EFCC secured 3,455 convictions and achieved monetary recoveries totaling over N248 billion, alongside significant amounts in foreign currencies.
In her keynote address, Senator Tinubu noted the importance of the summit’s theme, stating, “Cybercrime is not a crime against individuals and businesses. It is an assault on our collective integrity, economic stability and the future of our youth.”
She emphasized the urgency of addressing the challenges posed by the digital age, saying, “It is therefore crucial that we address these challenges head on and explore not only the harmful consequences of cyber-crimes but also the sustainable alternatives that can redirect our youths towards productive and positive endeavours.”
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She further highlighted that with young people accounting for more than 60 percent of Nigeria’s population, “the involvement of youths in cybercrime is a threat to the nation’s quest for economic stability.”
Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, observed that “the menace of cybercrimes, like most economic and financial crimes, is a burning challenge that we cannot deny, ignore or wish away.”
He stressed the need for collective action, stating, “This time around, we are not only interrogating the problem, we are aggregating workable solutions to it.”
Olukoyede pointed out that globally, “2,328 (Two Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-eight) cases of cybercrime occur daily” and projected that losses could reach $10.5 trillion by 2025, calling it a grave threat if left unchecked.
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, commended the EFCC, asserting, “The Commission has done so well in planning and engaging the youths in every state that will give them the platform to do so.”
He promised collaboration, saying, “As youths, as a body, we are promising the EFCC that we will do everything in our power… to make sure that Nigerian youths are with the EFCC.”
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, expressed support for the EFCC’s efforts, stating, “You have our support in this regards. We commend you on their efforts in putting this gathering together.”
He emphasized that the summit would leave attendees “better informed on our perception of cybercrime.”
The event also received goodwill messages from various leaders, including His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad SAAd Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, and His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, reinforcing a united front against cybercrime in Nigeria.
