From Magnus Eze, Enugu
A fast-rising Abuja-based, talented singer, songwriter and producer, Ukwueze Stanley Ebuka, populrly known as Sean Bukah, has given a boost to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s campaign against cybercrime, commonly called ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ in Nigeria.
The music sensation was part of an enlightenment team put together by Comforting Africa, a non-governmental organisation, in partnership with the EFCC, which visited Oxford Secondary School, Obollo Afor, in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
It was like a homecoming for the young artiste; setting his foot once again in his alma mater. He counselled the students to shun drugs, cybercrime, cultism and other social vices, stressing that one needed not commit crime to make it in life.
He recalled his modest beginnings, saying he started life as a petty trader after graduating from the school, but today he owns different thriving businesses.
“You too can have a breakthrough in life without necessarily indulging in cybercrime or any illegal activity. It’s a terrible and wrong approach towards making it in life. So, you too can start from somewhere. Our being here is basically to talk to you students on the dangers and consequences of cybercrime and also encourage you in any possible means,” Sean Bukah said.
Head, cybercrime section, EFCC, Enugu zonal office, Idoko Stephen, and spokesman for Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, were on hand to speak to the students.
Idoko said cybercrime was a computer-related crime, which involves sharing private information of a person. He explained that some persons and officials of organisations get involved in such crimes as espionage and financial theft, among others.
He blamed growing cases of cybercrime in Nigeria to high premium on acquisition of wealth and money in the society, urging parents not to mount pressure on their wards to measure up with their peers.
Encouraging youths to take life easy and always do things the proper way, the EFCC operative enjoined stakeholders, individuals, organizations and government to “nip the scourge in the bud.”
On the other hand, he called on government to ensure that policies were not only formulated but strictly adhered to, irrespective of the status or personality of the people involved. He stressed the need for creation of job opportunities as this would help to drastically minimize the menace.
Ndukwe urged the students to always be themselves without succumbing to peer influence.
“If you are in secondary school, behave as secondary school student and when in the university, you should behave like university students; avoid any approach by anyone trying to introduce you into cybercrime, cultism or any illegal activities,” Ndukwe advised.
Leader of Comforting Africa, organiser of the programme, Henry Ogwudu, said the organization was founded to identify the myriad of problems confronting the continent.
He said that Africa was endowed with abundant human and natural resources, but these resources were not productive because of mismanagement. He lamented that cybercrime had become prevalent in the continent.
Ogwudu described cybercrime as a dangerous phenomenon, noting that it will land Africa in a diminishing point of no return, if not checked now.
“That’s why we are reaching out to young people, interacting with them, teaching them and helping them the way we can, giving them a kind of reorientation, so that they understand the consequences of cybercrime.
“We will continue to work with the custodians of law and order in the society so as to genuinely prove to these kids that the society really cares and wants them to do right,” he explained.
Other activities at the event were a debate on cybercrime by the students; proclamation of Sean Bukah scholarship, talent hunt and presentation of awards to the school proprietor and teachers.