The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, has charged students across the country to be serious about the fight against corruption, stressing that through such efforts, they will succeed in securing their future.
He gave the charge in Abuja on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, when students from New Capital School, Abuja, visited the EFCC’s corporate headquarters on a study tour.
Speaking through the Head of Media and Publicity and Spokesperson of the Commission, Deputy Commander of the EFCC, DCE Dele Oyewale, the Chairman emphasised that youths must rise against corruption because it poses a serious threat to their future.
“When you fight corruption, you are actually fighting for a better future. An internet fraudster is fighting against your future because he tarnishes your image and that of the country before the international community. The effect is so bad that at foreign airports, once you present a Nigerian passport, you are subjected to all forms of embarrassment and scrutiny. It affects us all,” he said.
Olukoyede further stressed that for youths to achieve the kind of future they desire, they must collectively resist and confront corruption in all its forms.
“For you to have a better and prosperous future, to become a lawyer, journalist, teacher, doctor, or whatever you aspire to be, you must fight corruption with all seriousness. You must all join hands together to stamp it out,” he said.
According to the EFCC Chairman, corruption is a betrayal of integrity and the misuse of public resources for personal gain, which leave painful consequences on innocent citizens.
“The effects of corruption are responsible for the decay in our public infrastructure and social amenities. It is the singular reason our healthcare system is in shambles and our educational system is failing, forcing many of us to pay exorbitant fees in private schools. It is why unemployment is high. Inflation and high cost of living are also direct effects of corruption,” he said.
On her part, the Head of the Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the Commission, Assistant Commander of the EFCC II, Aisha Mohammed, explained that the Commission has designed several initiatives to catch young people early and instill values of integrity and discipline in them.
“This is why the Commission established Integrity Clubs in primary and secondary schools, Zero Tolerance Clubs in tertiary institutions, and NYSC-CDS groups for members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. The goal is to ensure that the fight against corruption starts from childhood and continues into adulthood,” she said.
Mohammed advised the students to be persons of integrity and to always speak out against corruption if they aspire to be EFCC ambassadors.
“Be a person of integrity. Be a whistleblower, speak up, don’t keep quiet when you see something wrong. Spread the anti-corruption messages by educating your friends, parents, and associates on the dangers of corruption,” she said.
Deputy Superintendent of the EFCC, DSE Olalekan Ogunjobi, in his lecture on “Cybercrime and its Menace,” highlighted the global impact of cybercrime, noting that the cost of cybercrimes is projected to hit $10.5 trillion by 2025, with an estimated 2,328 cybercrimes occurring daily, and an average of 6.7 hours spent resolving each incident.
Ogunjobi advised internet users to exercise caution and apply critical thinking before responding to messages online.
“Before you click on any message or link, stop, think, and connect wisely,” he said.
