The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its Kaduna office is prosecuting 48 internet fraud suspects in court.
The Zonal Head of the EFCC in Kaduna, Mailafia Yakubu, disclosed this at a media briefing where he gave an update on the Commission’s activities in the zone.
He noted that the Kaduna office has received 345 petitions and investigated 286 cases from January to date.
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Yakubu explained that 52 of the cases had been forwarded to the legal department for advice while 56 cases involving 48 suspected internet fraudsters were already before the court and 23 persons have been convicted.
The briefing comes on the heels of the recent arrest of some Nigerians by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States.
The EFCC zonal head said the anti-graft agency has a long history of collaboration with the FBI, adding that a number of investigations based on the synergy were ongoing.
Speaking on behalf of the acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, Yakubu lamented the negative effect of cybercrime on Nigeria’s image and called on citizens to be vigilant in order not to fall victim of the crime.
He, however, thanked Nigerians for their immense contributions to the fight against corruption and advised parents to monitor their wards, stressing that youths were mostly targeted for recruitment into cybercrime cells by organised criminal groups.
