Politicians are now allegedly using online scammers to steal money and move it into offshore accounts, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At a briefing in Abuja on Monday, Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the EFCC, revealed this.
According to him, systemic corruption in Nigeria’s political and governance systems is highlighted by the politicians’ illegal actions.
According to Olukoyede, the anti-graft agency’s investigations have revealed how Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) work with scammers to open cryptocurrency wallets and send stolen money overseas to buy luxury goods like homes and automobiles.
He claims that “when they (politically exposed individuals) steal billions of dollars, they give it to these boys, who then open cryptocurrency wallets, and the money goes abroad.” The majority of these politically exposed individuals track down these lads, book them in hotels, and then the boys open accounts so they can transfer the funds overseas.
The chairman of the EFCC also voiced alarm about the fraudsters’ expanding criminal activity, which now includes banditry, kidnapping, and ritual killings in addition to cybercrime.
He pointed out that they turned to violent crimes after their schemes failed, putting Nigerians’ safety and security at even greater risk.
Read Also:Â How N5bn Bond Bail Signed by Fidelity Boss was Confused as Bribe
The most hazardous part of it is that some of these individuals are involved in kidnapping and banditry, so it’s not just about yahoo-yahoo. Olukoyede clarified, “They turn to these vices when they don’t see people to swindle on time.
Along with their illegal operations, Olukoyede bemoaned the fact that these con artists’ actions had disgraced Nigeria and damaged its standing internationally.
“You will find that by the time you show the passport, the people (immigration officers) will look at you with some reservation if you travel overseas with your green passport and stand in line with so many people,” he said.
That is, if they don’t separate you to do a more thorough examination. Some young Nigerians, known as “yahoo-yahoo boys,” have brought shame to our country.
