The Kogi State Government has launched a statewide campaign against internet fraud, with a call for the establishment of Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign Clubs in secondary schools and tertiary institutions across the state.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo made the call during the official flag-off of the Kogi Anti-Internet Fraud Campaign at the Government House in Lokoja.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Ayoade Arike, the governor said the fight against cybercrime requires collective efforts from parents, schools, religious institutions and community leaders.
She stressed that moral upbringing and proper guidance remain vital in shaping responsible youths and future leaders.
According to her, the growing trend of internet fraud and indiscipline among young people should not be ignored.
“You see young people confronting school authorities and engaging in unacceptable behaviour. The system is going bad and it is in our hands to correct it,” she said.
Ayoade, while speaking on the role of parents, warned that failure to properly train children could destroy family legacies in the future.
“A child you refuse to train while you focus only on building houses is the same child that will eventually sell those houses,” she added.
She urged parents to invest in the education and moral development of their children instead of encouraging the pursuit of quick wealth through fraudulent activities.
“My mother sold pepper to train her children and today she is proud of us. Parents should invest in their children because genuine success lasts longer than wealth acquired through fraudulent activities,” she stated.
The SSG also advocated the creation of anti-fraud clubs in schools, similar to existing social advocacy and anti-drug clubs, to help take the campaign directly to students at the grassroots.
“Let interested students form associations in their schools. Government will support initiatives that will help take this message to young people at the grassroots,” she said.
Earlier, the Convener of the campaign and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Fraud and Internet Matters, Oluseyi Kelvin Eleta, said the initiative was aimed at protecting the image and future of Kogi State.
He commended Governor Ododo for supporting efforts to discourage cybercrime and criminality among youths.
Eleta described character development as critical to nation-building, warning that talent and intelligence become dangerous when not guided by integrity.
“Without good character, talent becomes dangerous, intelligence becomes destructive, and opportunity becomes abuse,” he said.
He urged youths to channel their energy and digital skills into innovation, entrepreneurship, business, agriculture, sports and entertainment instead of internet fraud.
“Kogi youths are gifted and energetic. They can excel in technology, agriculture, business, sports and entertainment without engaging in cybercrime,” he added.
Eleta also noted that Kogi State’s strategic location, bordering nine states and the Federal Capital Territory, contributes to commercial growth but also exposes the state to criminal activities if not properly monitored.
He called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, schools, parents and civil society groups in tackling cybercrime.
Delivering a lecture titled “Internet Fraud and the Nigerian Youth: The Way Forward,” CP Nathaniel Diton, speaking on behalf of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), identified pressure, opportunity and rationalization as key drivers of fraudulent behaviour.
He cautioned Nigerians against defending corruption on ethnic or social grounds, saying such attitudes encourage criminality.
Diton urged young people to embrace ethical and legitimate means of earning a living, insisting that awareness campaigns remain effective tools in combating internet fraud.
“Awareness is working and it is something government, civil society groups and security agencies must continue to sustain,” he said.
Also speaking, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said internet fraud should not define the identity of Kogi people.
“We are intelligent, dynamic and hospitable people. That is the true identity of Kogi State,” he stated.
Fanwo blamed some parents for indirectly encouraging cybercrime by accepting expensive gifts from unemployed children without questioning the source of the money.
“When children who are doing nothing suddenly buy expensive cars and motorcycles and parents fail to ask questions, they become part of the problem,” he said.
He disclosed that the state government was developing innovation hubs to help young people channel their digital talents into legitimate ventures.
Fanwo also donated N100,000 to a student of GYB Model School, Great Onize Suleiman, for her outstanding presentation during the programme.
In their goodwill messages, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mrs. Helen Adebirimibe, and the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Taiye Abanika, urged parents to make sacrifices for the future of their children and encouraged youths to use the internet positively for learning, innovation and self-development.
Students from GYB Model School and Faith Academy also presented papers on the dangers of internet fraud and its effects on individuals, families and society.
The event attracted government officials, students, security agencies and education stakeholders, all calling for stronger moral values and collective action against cybercrime in Kogi State.
