Against the backdrop of rising
collaboration between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and
the Federal Bureau of Investigations, FBI, in tackling internet- related
offences, the Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim
Magu has called for greater public support in tackling the menace of cyber
crimes.
This call was made on Tuesday, August 3, 2019 in Port Harcourt,
Rivers State at a Press Conference convened to update the Media on the
nefarious activities of some suspected internet fraudsters in the Niger Delta
region. Magu, who was represented by the Head of the EFCC in Port
Harcourt, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, stressed that nothing short of public
ownership of the fight against corrupt practices can curtail the menace of
internet- related offences.
“…The rising tempo of internet- related offences and other acts of
economic and financial crimes, call for enhanced cooperation of all
stakeholders in the anti-corruption fight. .. We have never pretended that the
fight can be won by EFCC alone, there is need for public
ownership of the fight to ensure that our development as a nation is
accelerated”, he said.
Bawa said that in the last eight months, 105 arrests were made by
the Zonal Office on internet-related offences. He added that the Zone is
working on 13 different cases of cyber crimes in collaboration with the
FBI. Two of such cases involve the arrest of Ogbonnah Atoukaritou,
formerly based in London and Alpha Chidi Egbeoni, formerly based in Japan.
“Generally, the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Office is peculiar on the
investigation of crude oil theft and illegal dealing in oil- related products.
The last eight months have been months of intensive and extensive
investigations and prosecution of oil- related and several internet-
related in which the Zone has recorded 149 convictions, made
N268,934,375.75 , $2, 012,568.00 and £15,000.00 recoveries and have 162
cases in court”, he said.
Bawa also disclosed that the Port Harcourt’s Zone secured the final forfeiture
of 242 trucks and vehicles to the Federal Government in July, 2019 and was on
the verge of securing final forfeiture of another 11 Vessels and
Barges. He decried the rampant rate of internet- related offences,
saying that they have grave economic, social and negative
consequences.
