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EFCC, Experts Warn Nigerians To Guard Against Cyber Crimes
Economic and Financial Crimes operatives and cybersecurity experts have reiterated the importance of cybersecurity awareness among Nigerians to stem rising cyber attacks and the attendant distresses.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other experts spoke on Saturday at a Cybersecurity Awareness Workshop.
It was organised by H’QUBE Consultating Ltd. for students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The Tide’s source reports that the workshop, titled “Impact of Cybersecurity Awareness at Combating Cybercrimes”, was held at NITHUB, a tech innovation of the UNILAG.
The stakeholders urged the participants to ensure that they do not fall victim to cybercriminals through careless handling of their sensitive information, including National Identification Number(NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) data.
Addressing the participants, Lagos Zonal Commander of EFCC, Mr Michael Wetkas, urged the participants not to compromise security of their data and never to cross the red flags.
Wetkas, who was represented by Mr Suleiman Jijiwa, the Deputy Head, Cybercrimes, EFCC, said that crimes had changed from the usual bloody attacks to digital, and many people had fallen prey because of greed and ignorance.
“All they (cyber fraudsters) need now is laptop, network and knowledge. Crimes have no border, unlike before. You have to be there physically to perpetrate it.
“EFCC is watching. If you see something, say something, then we will do something to arrest the criminals,” he said.
Wetkas urged the students to imbibe the culture of reporting cybercrimes right on time, saying that such could be done anonymously.
According to him, every cybercrime can be traced if reported to the appropriate authorities.
Advising the participants to always protect their data and not be hasty in releasing it without cross checking, Wetkas added that students must mind whatever they push on social media to avoid undue exposure to risks.
Urging the students to stay clear of cybercrimes, the commander regretted that some staff of financial institutions were always compromised.
According to him, the commission shares information with other agencies in the cyber space within and outside the country to clamp down on internet frausters.
Also speaking, Mr Ezike Onyema, representing State Zonal Head of ICPC, Mr Abdul-Kabir Elelu, who emphasised data protection, urged the participants to be safety conscious on cyber space.
“We need to be safe. Protect your BVN. Your BVN must be protected. Don’t let it out, “ he said.
Mr Ben Ekwere, a financial expert, who also urged participants to alway double check the security features of whatever website being visited, said ,”the cost of cyber breaches is higher than what it will take to secure it.
In his remarks, Dr Victor Odumuyiwa, the Director, NITHUB, commended the organisers for empowering the students with knowledge and training to be solution providers.
Odumuyiwa, who urged the students to be security aware and be careful of information they pushed out about themselves, added that they must also be experts in cyber security space.
“If you are not greedy, you will not fall easily into the hand of the cyber criminals. Their tactics are to scare and lure. Be careful in providing information,” Odumuyiwa of the Department of Computer Science, said.
Also speaking, Mr Abdul-Azeez Ghazali, the Chief Executive Officer, H’QUBE Consulting Limited, said that a lot more ought to be done in ensuring security in the digital space, describing humans as the weakest link.
According to him, the workshop is necessary because the level of investment in cybersecurity awareness is low in Nigeria.
“Data privacy must be ensured. You must be the guard. Nobody can protect you better than yourself. We must try to secure ourselves and be careful in digital space.
“We must be secure, but truly, nobody is immuned or free. We must keep improving our cyberspace security. Your pin must not be your date of birth.
“Most victims of cyber attacks undergo emotional distress, and many are really crying out there. Do not be reckless in digital space,” Ghazali, a chartered accountant and cybersecurity expert, said.
Decrying bank insider collusion in aiding cyber attacks, Ghazali urged the participants to beware of impersonators and identity theft on cyber space.
He urged the people to always lock their SIM cards, to safeguard themselves.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of new laptop computers to two students.
Nigerians may experience an increase in the prices of premium energy products diesel and petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery temporarily halts the sale of petroleum products in Naira.
“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
The $20billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.
The refinery said it remained committed to serving the Nigerian market and would resume the sale of its product to the local market in Naira as soon as it received crude cargoes from the NNPCL in Naira.
“As soon as we receive an allocation of Naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPC, we will promptly resume petroleum product sales in Naira,” it said.
The announcement by the refinery comes amid its price war with the NNPCL.
As part of moves to reduce the strain on the US dollars, and guarantee price stability of petroleum products, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in July 2024, directed the NNPCL to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in naira and not in United States’ greenback.
In the beginning of March 2025, the NNPCL said its Naira-denominated crude sales agreement with the Dangote Refinery was structured for six months with March 2025 as the expiration date.
The state company, however, said that talks were on to replace the contract, and that over 48 million barrels of crude oil have been made available to Dangote Refinery since October 2024 under the Naira-denominated arrangement.
The NNPCL also said it had made over 84 million barrels of crude oil available to the private refinery since it commenced operations in 2023.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces energy challenges, with all its state-owned refineries non-operational for decades until 2024. The country was heavily reliant on imported refined petroleum products, with the state-run NNPCL being the major importer of the essential commodities.
Fuel queues are commonplace in the country. Prices of petrol more than quadrupled since the removal of subsidy in May 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, from around ¦ 200/litre to about ¦ 1,000/litre, compounding the woes of the citizens who power their vehicles, and generating sets with petrol, no thanks to decades-long epileptic electricity supply.
Last December, the billionaire industrialist commenced operations at the facility situated in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day. The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. The refinery has begun the supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country and now petrol.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, now sitting at 18th in the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday.
Aruna moved up from 19th place in week 11 to 18th in the latest ranking, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.
Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over Assar’s 17th place, moving up from 18th.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.
Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year in January.
This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who beat him to become the champion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Aruna’s next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai which serves off in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.
In the women’s ranking, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her top spot after retaining her WTT Champions Chongqing title.
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