Former Senate President Bukola Saraki says he is disturbed by the growing trend of Nigerians involved in fraudulent activities overseas.
In an article brought to the fore on Wednesday, Saraki said the number of fraud cases involving Nigerians abroad affects “national image and psyche” and requires urgent action by the government and Nigerians at large.
Saraki did not mention by name the founder of Invictus Group, Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, who in June pleaded guilty to $11 million (N4.2 billion) fraud in the US, in his article.
He, however, referred to Mr Okeke as “a young Nigerian, who was recently featured in Forbes Magazine’s ‘30 under 30’”.
“A few days ago, the United States Treasury Department sanctioned some Nigerian cyber criminals who are said to have targeted US businesses and individuals in wire frauds. In the same week, a young Nigerian, who was recently featured in Forbes Magazine’s ‘30 under 30’ pleaded guilty to cyber fraud involving over $11m USD in Virginia,” he wrote.
“Also, some Nigerians were reported to have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly committing cyber fraud in excess of $35m USD, by allegedly illegally diverting money from a fund set up to combat the negative effects of Covid-19.
“What all these cases portend is that while the world is battling with the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and confronting the raging agitation against racism and discrimination, Nigeria has to additionally cope with more negative news generated by the activities of her fraudulent citizens particularly against the United States of America and the United Arab Emirate.”
Providing solutions, he wrote: “We must totally rejig and restructure our education system in such a way that it faces the reality of today’s world and prepare those who go through the system with useful skill and mind-set to be useful to themselves and to society. Our emphasis should shift from just possession of certificates to that of skill acquisition and developing the mind to nurse progressive ambition that will serve collective interest. There should also be inbuilt moral, patriotic and positive content in the knowledge impacted by education institutions to their students.”
Among others, he also advocated the need to change the conditions that make crime attractive to the youth by creating an economy that encourages hard work, talent and skill.
