EFCC Warns That Internet Fraud Worsens Visa Restrictions for Innocent Nigerians

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has cautioned that the growing cases of internet fraud are worsening visa restrictions for innocent Nigerians abroad.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said the menace not only jeopardises the future of perpetrators but also damages Nigeria’s global reputation, leading to tougher travel conditions for law-abiding citizens. He spoke through Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Coker Oyegunle, at an event organised by the Coalition of Nigerian Youth on Security and Safety Affairs in Port Harcourt on Monday.

According to a statement issued by the commission on Tuesday, Olukoyede noted that cybercrime, money laundering, and economic sabotage cost Nigeria billions of naira yearly, stalling development and denying citizens vital infrastructure, jobs, and opportunities.

He urged youths, especially in the South-South, to embrace productive ventures such as digital innovation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and the creative sector. “Fraud is not success; it is a trap. Many who follow the path of ‘yahoo-yahoo’ end up losing their freedom, reputation, and future. The law is catching up with them, and digital footprints never disappear,” he warned.

Olukoyede reaffirmed the EFCC’s resolve to scale up sensitisation, enforcement, and community collaboration to curb cybercrime.

Other agencies at the event also raised concerns: the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) warned against drug abuse among youths, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) cautioned against pipeline vandalism in the South-South.

The EFCC has recently intensified its clampdown on internet fraud. In August, operatives arrested 38 suspected cybercriminals in Ikorodu, Lagos, recovering vehicles, mobile phones, and suspected narcotics. Similarly, the commission’s Benin Zonal Directorate secured the conviction of 12 individuals, including two brothers, on charges of advance fee fraud and possession of fraudulent documents.