The Teachers Continuous Training Institute, TCTI, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to embrace a training opportunity on digital skills for youths and convicted internet fraudsters to become better citizens of society.
This call was made in Abuja on Friday, May 17, 2024 when the Director General of the Institute, Professor Taheed Adedoja led a delegation to the EFCC headquarters in Jabi on a courtesy visit.
Adedoja said news on social media about the concerns of EFCC regarding the activities and damaging effects of internet fraudsters have become a thing of concern to the Institute. “ Mr Chairman, our Institute has a centre for digital skills and about a year ago , we researched to find out the digital literacy skills of Nigerians using Cross River State as our sample. We discovered that less than 14 of the 1000 participants we sampled have the minimum digital requirements. So, when we watched the TV concerning your engagement, we discovered that internet fraudsters are very intelligent and we know their intelligence needs to be positively deployed for their self-development and usefulness. We believe that our Institute, in collaboration with your Agency, can come up with various high-tech programs for their rehabilitation” he said.
“We want the youths to take over the country but the question is, do we want them to deploy their intelligence to destroy Nigeria or use their intelligence for the development of Nigeria? I believe that with this collaboration, you are going to make a mark in this country because we are lucky to have a Chairman who is interested in these boys”.
In response, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede appreciated the proposal for collaboration but explained that the Commission’s mandate is to rid the country of economic and financial crimes and also create awareness among the public regarding the effects and dangers of cybercrime.
“It is good to also collaborate to achieve our mandate. When we are investigating these boys, I see crime and see opportunities in it and I think we can focus on prevention which is always better, the challenge is that a lot of them do not have the means to train themselves, so If we can reduce the possibility of crimes by training the youths to be gainfully employed, then we can salvage our country”
.“That is why we need people like you to give us the platform. We are also trying to open a Cyber Crime Training Center, which I believe will be the best in the world. We look forward to a more beneficial relationship”, he said.
