Another dimension that is not given attention is the discovery, recently, that organized foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities and recruiting young Nigerians into serious organized cybercrimes
Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has expressed apprehension regarding the establishment of criminal cells by Foreign organized crime groups in Nigerian cities and the recruitment of young Nigerians into cybercrimes.
The remarks were made by Olukoyede while welcoming students from the National Institute for Security Studies’ Executive Intelligence Management Course,led by Hyginus Ngele, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Dele Oyewale, the Head of Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He revealed that new information from the EFCC indicates that criminals from other countries are also bringing weapons into Nigeria illegally by paying with cryptocurrencies.
The chairman Stated, “Another dimension that is not given attention is the discovery, recently, that organized foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities and recruiting young Nigerians into serious organized cybercrimes, including cryptocurrency fraud.
“In the special operations we carried out in Lagos recently, we arrested 194 foreigners in the heart of Victoria Island.
“Among them were Chinese, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans, Tunisians, and others, all in a single building. Some lacked valid visas, and most of their financial activities were conducted through cryptocurrency.
The unregulated movement of arms and weapons across Nigerian borders was one of the issues he brought up when asking how rebels and bandits have maintained their activities throughout the years.
Underscoring the connection between money laundering and risks to national security, he urged concerted action on a continental and international scale to tackle the operations of international fraud ringleaders and cybercriminals.
Concerned that non-state players were contributing to Nigeria’s insurgency, banditry, abduction, and farmer-herder conflicts, which have persisted for almost twenty years, he voiced his disapproval.
He stated, “All security, intelligence, and law enforcement organizations in Nigeria and Africa must close ranks in dealing with this challenge.
“At the level of the EFCC, we have always been suspicious of the activities of non-state actors in areas facing security challenges.
“In the North-East, for instance, the activities of local and international NGOs have come under scrutiny. This led to their mandatory registration with SCUML (Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering) and a directive to notify the EFCC on cash movements within the region.”