The major challenges in combating crime in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, are land scams and cybercrimes. According to the commission, land scam is most prevalent in Enugu State, where it handles most cases related to land grabbing and land sale and resale scams.
The Assistant Commander of the EFCC in the South East, Aluyu Nuhu Naibi, disclosed this at a press conference following a sensitization organized by the command and other anti-corruption organizations in on the occasion of the 2023 International Anti-Corruption Day, in Enugu.
Naibi said: “Our main challenge here is land scam. A lot of people are using the land issue to defraud people, especially in Enugu State. That is where we are mainly focusing our efforts. Then it there is the problem of cybercrimes.”
“To mitigate this, we need traditional, religious and government institutions at all levels to come together to educate people about the effects of these scourges, as they affect all aspects of our society. This is not just about government or individuals, they affect everyone and all aspects of society, so we need to talk about them together.”
He also stressed the importance of raising awareness among the youth, especially in tertiary institutions, on the effects of corruption in order to educate them now to become good citizens in the future.
The Executive of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, also expressed his commitment to combating thieves of public funds and other corrupt elements in Nigeria, with the aim of fostering growth and development across the country.
He said: “We will give sleepless nights to those who steal our money. We will eliminate opportunities for corruption and close loopholes. We are in the era of a new budget. We have warned all the gatekeepers of our finances in Nigeria that we are going to work with them. We are going to track every money released.”
He also highlighted the effects of corruption on Nigerians, promising that the anti-corruption mission of the EFCC would be refocused to drive growth and development in all sectors of the economy.
“We are refocusing the anti-corruption mandate of the EFCC. We will fight corruption to drive growth and development and eliminate all threats to the progress of the nation. We have had enough of corruption in Nigeria. Our young people must have employment opportunities,” he said.
In conclusion, combating land scam and cybercrimes remains a major concern for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in South East Nigeria. It is essential to raise public awareness of these problems and put in place measures to combat them effectively. The new leadership of the EFCC is committed to fighting corruption and creating an enabling environment for the growth and development of the country.