For decades, Ekiti State has been celebrated as Nigeria’s “Land of Honour”, renowned for its strong educational tradition and its contributions to the country’s pool of academics, professionals and intellectuals.
But growing involvement of young people, including secondary school students, in internet fraud is raising fresh concerns about the state’s educational future.
The development has come into sharper focus following intensified operations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the state, particularly after the establishment of its permanent office in Ado-Ekiti.
The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, an indigene of Ikere-Ekiti, recently expressed concern over the involvement of teenagers who should be preparing for examinations in online scams.
According to Olukoyede, some students now skip classes to learn how to create fraudulent social media accounts, communicate with unsuspecting foreign victims and make quick money online.
“I’m from a state where education is our pride. I’m from a state where the major enterprise we have is education,” he said.
He recalled that students at his former secondary school now leave school as early as midday and gather in hotels to engage in internet fraud.
“You see secondary school students driving vehicles,” he said, questioning whether such a trend represents the kind of society Nigeria wants to build.
Olukoyede further warned that cybercrime could extend beyond internet fraud, alleging that some individuals involved in online scams have become involved in kidnapping, money laundering and the movement of illicit funds through cryptocurrency wallets.
Parents reportedly form ‘Iya Omo Ologo’ group
The growing prominence of internet fraud has reportedly prompted some parents of young people involved in the practice, particularly in Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, to form an association popularly known as the “Iya Omo Ologo Association”.
The development has added another dimension to concerns about the social acceptance of unexplained wealth and the extent to which families and communities may be accommodating young people whose sources of income are questionable.
EFCC crackdown affects local businesses
The establishment of the EFCC’s Ado-Ekiti office has also generated concerns among some business operators.
Owners of hotels, lounges, restaurants and entertainment venues have reported declining patronage, with some attributing the downturn to the Commission’s activities.
Some residents believe that people who previously spent lavishly in such establishments have either left the state or reduced their public activities amid fears of investigation.
EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, rejected suggestions that the Commission’s operations are intended to intimidate legitimate businesses.
“We don’t harass and we don’t intimidate. We don’t do night operations,” he said, adding that officers operate according to established procedures.
Oyewale said the Commission was in Ekiti to protect legitimate businesses by removing threats posed by financial crimes.
“Every lawful business owner has nothing to fear. We are in that location to make businesses grow,” he said.
‘No society should depend on criminal proceeds’
Former presidential adviser Senator Babafemi Ojudu has also commented on the economic consequences of the EFCC crackdown.
In a commentary titled When Crime Becomes an Economy: The Disturbing Lessons from Ado Ekiti’s Near Empty Hotels, Ojudu said reports of declining patronage in hotels, lounges and other businesses exposed a deeper social problem.
He argued that no society should build its economy around proceeds allegedly generated through criminal activities.
According to Ojudu, businesses ranging from hotels and supermarkets to car dealers and mechanics had experienced reduced patronage following the departure or withdrawal of young people popularly known as “Yahoo Boys”.
“If we reward learning, we produce scholars. If we reward enterprise, we produce innovators. If we reward integrity, we produce statesmen. But if we reward criminality, we should not be shocked when criminals eventually govern us,” he said.
Concern over profiling of legitimate digital entrepreneurs
However, some stakeholders have cautioned against treating every young person who earns money online as a suspected fraudster.
Public affairs analyst Tunde Owoeye noted that Nigeria’s expanding digital economy had created legitimate careers in software development, digital marketing, cryptocurrency, forex trading, content creation and remote work.
He argued that legitimate digital entrepreneurs could become victims of profiling if law enforcement agencies relied on appearance, lifestyle or income level rather than evidence.
Financial expert Bunmi Olatunde similarly stressed that owning expensive gadgets, driving luxury vehicles or earning substantial income online should not, on their own, constitute evidence of criminal activity.
She called for investigations to be based on credible intelligence, verifiable evidence and due process.
Olatunde warned that criminalising legitimate success could discourage young Nigerians from pursuing technology-driven businesses and innovation.
At the same time, she acknowledged that criminals sometimes exploit legitimate digital industries to conceal illicit proceeds, making professional financial investigation essential to distinguishing legitimate wealth from criminal proceeds.
APC backs EFCC presence in Ekiti
The Ekiti State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Segun Dipe, described the establishment of the EFCC office in Ado-Ekiti as an important step towards strengthening accountability and investor confidence.
He urged the Commission to maintain professionalism and respect the rights of law-abiding residents.
“This is timely because Ekiti is selling something valuable to the world: its reputation,” Dipe said.
He argued that the presence of a permanent anti-graft institution could reassure investors that the state was committed to transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
The education question
Beyond the debate over law enforcement and business activity, the growing involvement of students in internet fraud raises fundamental questions about the value young people attach to education.
Olukoyede’s account suggests that some teenagers are increasingly viewing formal education as unnecessary when compared with the immediate financial rewards associated with online fraud.
For a state whose identity has historically been closely associated with education, the trend presents a particularly serious challenge.
Addressing it will require more than arrests. Schools, families, traditional institutions, government agencies and communities will need to confront the social conditions that make illicit wealth attractive to young people.
Strengthening career guidance, digital literacy, entrepreneurship education and opportunities for legitimate employment could help provide alternatives, while effective enforcement remains necessary to dismantle criminal networks.
The challenge for the EFCC, therefore, is to pursue genuine financial criminals firmly while ensuring that legitimate digital entrepreneurs, students and young professionals are not treated as criminals merely because of their appearance, lifestyle or source of lawful online income.
Ultimately, the success of the anti-fraud campaign in Ekiti may depend not only on the number of arrests made, but also on whether the state can restore the message that education, enterprise and integrity remain viable pathways to success.
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