By Dr Oludayo Tade
SIR: Cybercrimes have devastating effects on the Nigerian economy and her peoples. According to the 2017 Africa Cyber Security Report, the continent lost $3.5billion, out of which Nigeria’s loss was about $649million.
This problem is exacerbated by the shortage of certified cybersecurity professionals. Imagine, Nigeria with over 200million people, more than half of whom are Internet active, has only 1800 certified cyber-security professionals.
While the recent arrest by FBI struck many Nigerians because of its trans-territorial backlashes, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arresting cybercriminals in the south-western part of Nigeria.
Within a year, the Ibadan Zonal office of the EFCC could be re-christened as anti-cybercrimes Commission with its ruthless ‘smoking’ of cybercriminals from their hidings across the zone.
Headed by Friday Ebelo, the Ibadan Zone of EFCC secured 171 convictions,167 of which are cybercrime offenders. In addition to the convictions, the Commission impounded 56 automobiles and 14 houses from the offenders and recovered the sums of N211,134,927.26; $136,289; €2000 and £765.
More importantly, substantial foreign currencies were repatriated to the victims of cybercriminals mostly located in the Global North.
The demographics of those arrested are worrisome: teenagers and young adults, students in different tertiary institutions and young graduates.
Cybercrime has become an industry where the kingpins employ workers who are paid monthly salaries. While majority of them live flamboyantly, some maintain low profiles while partaking in deadly multi-million dollar Internet frauds.
They ride exotic cars, attend clubs, stay in duplexes or middle income areas and are usually clustered together. They can further be profiled as digital and analog as my research shows that many of them use fetish means to aid the possibility of success in cybercrimes.
It is their use of fetish items, human beings and tortoise that I have called cyberspiritualism.
How did we get here? Nigeria has over 60 percent of her population as youths yet many of them face awful socio-economic conditions.
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They grew up in callous environments where no one cares. They attend underfunded tertiary institutions that are best classified as glorified secondary schools.
Some of them live in zoo-like conditions in school-owned residential halls. They live in a country where the rulers trade the welfare of the common people with the interests of their families and friends.
The youth of Nigeria see leaders steal and get amnesty while only the individuals without social connections get punished.
While majority of the Nigerian youths are law-abiding and doing great in the informal and formal economies as entrepreneurs, the deviant few perceive being con and fraud as a way out of the woods.
But rather than been punitive, the EFCC allows plea bargaining for arrested cybercriminals. This is commendable as it is rehabilitative, considering their ages and what lies ahead of them.
This is why many of them are sentenced to three to one year imprisonment. But cybercriminals have allies in the banking industry and in the police and such must also be smoked out.
The cultures that sustain cybercrimes must be wiped out and this is a system approach. Leadership must be responsible to meet the yearnings of her citizens.
Employment opportunities must be created and proper incentive must be given to those who merit it. There must also be post prison-re-integration plan for convicted cybercriminals.
- Dr Oludayo Tade,
dotad2003@yahoo.com
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