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The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has alerted Nigerians that
organized foreign fraud syndicates are establishing cells in Nigerian cities
and recruiting young Nigerians into serious organized cybercrimes, including
cryptocurrency fraud.
He made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday, February
26, 2025 while receiving participants of the Executive Intelligence Management
Course, EIMC 18 of the National Institute for Security Studies, NISS, led by
the Director of Studies, Hyginus Ngele to the Commission. Olukoyede
expressed surprise on how bandits and insurgents are able to sustain their
activities over the years, stressing that the flow of small arms and light
weapons across our borders and the involvement of non-state actors in the
illegal exploitation of minerals in parts of the country all compound the
threats in the security landscape.
“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,” he said.
Speaking further, he stated that by virtue of EFCC’s recent discovery “we are
beginning to see the likelihood, the propensity that a lot of these people are
into illegal importation of arms into the country using cryptocurrency as means
of payment. And this is an area that must interest all of us”
“In the special operations we carried out in Lagos
recently, we arrested 194 foreigners in the heart of Victoria Island. One
hundred and ninety-four of them, Chinese, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans,
Tunisians and the like in one building at a time. You can imagine what these
guys are doing, 194 of them. Some of them don't even have valid visas and most
of the financial activities they carried out they did through cryptocurrency”
“Another thing that we discovered is that some of the
foreigners we arrested were already ex-convicts in their countries. Some of
them have been convicted and escaped from their countries and found safe haven
in Africa, not only Nigeria. We discovered that they are also developing cells
in some other African countries by virtue of the investigation we are carrying
out,” he said.
The EFCC’s boss called for spirited efforts at both
national and continental levels to combat the menace of internet fraudsters,
stressing that the money laundering and national security dimension of the
presence of foreign organized crime groups demand close scrutiny. “All
security, intelligence and law enforcement organisations in Nigeria and indeed
Africa, must close ranks in dealing with this challenge,” he said.
Olukoyede decried the fact that Nigeria, for
nearly two decades, has been besieged by all manners of security challenges
ranging from insurgency, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and farmer/herder
clashes, which he partly blamed on activities of non-state actors.
Specifically, he noted that the role of non-state actors in stoking the embers
of security and corruption challenges has not been fully interrogated.
“At the level of the EFCC, we have always been
suspicious of the activities of non-state actors in the areas where we are
challenged security-wise. In the Northeast for instance, the activities of
local and international NGOs have been under focus. This was a major impetus
for the decision to mandate their registration with SCUML, Special Control Unit
against Money Laundering, , a department in EFCC, and a clear directive to
notify the Commission on cash movements within the region,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, NISS Commandant, Joseph
Obule Odama who spoke through Ngele praised Olukoyede’s leadership of the
EFCC for the Commission’s “remarkable achievements in combating corruption,
money laundering, and other financial crimes,” noting that the achievements
“have not only strengthened Nigeria's integrity but have also served as a model
for other nations in Africa and beyond.” He further noted that the EFCC,
under Olukoyede, has been at the forefront of investigating and prosecuting
financial crimes, including those involving non-state actors.
“Your Commission's exploratory activities have
uncovered the intricate networks through which some NGOs and other entities
channel funds to support hostile non-state actors, thereby fueling instability
in various parts of the country and the African Continent. “We recognize the
critical role the EFCC plays in disrupting these networks and ensuring
accountability. In light of this, we are particularly interested in hearing
your insights on how your Commission navigates the complexities of investigating
and prosecuting cases involving non-state actors”
“ We also seek your contributions on how Nigeria and
other African nations can strengthen legal and institutional frameworks to
address the challenges posed by these actors while promoting transparency and
accountability in their operations”.
Members of the NISS EIMC 18, comprised 74 senior
officers, drawn from Nigeria’s intelligence community, the military, law
enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, strategic government ministries, and
representatives from the federal and state governments and international
participants from Ghana, Somalia, Rwanda, and The Gambia. The theme for
EIMC18 is "Non-state Actors in Security Management: Issues, Challenges,
and Prospects for Peace and Development in Africa," which according to
Ngele “was carefully selected in recognition of the growing influence of
non-state actors in shaping the security landscape across the continent.”
Part of the highlights of the visit featured an
enlightenment and question and answers session, moderated by the Director of
EFCC’s Public Affairs Department, Commander of the EFCC, CE Wilson Uwujaren.
Director of SCUML, Commander of the EFCC, CE Daniel Isei, Director
Special Duties, Office of the Executive Chairman, CE Friday Ebelo and
Director Legal and Prosecution, CE Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, offered insights
on what the EFCC has done in strengthening the anti-corruption engagements
through its diverse activities.
