Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, described how a 17-year-old successfully hacked into his personal computer and bank account while being interrogated in his Lagos office.
Last Tuesday, the anti-graft agency’s chairman revealed this during a chat with editors at the EFCC Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Olukoyede described inviting the 17-year-old for questioning at his Lagos office, only to have the young hacker easily break the security safeguards of his closed computer right in front of his eyes.
He said, “I brought into my Lagos office a seventeen-year-old boy who is studying History and Anthropology. He is in the 200 level. He is not doing anything science-related. The guy sat in my office in Lagos and demonstrated some things to me on my laptop.
“He asked for my number, I gave him my number and through my number, he got my BVN. He then mentioned the name of my account number to me at the bank. I didn’t tell him anything.”
According to him, the country must take all necessary measures to discourage these young people, since their acts may result in incarceration or even death.
“The problem is, I see crime in that, and I also see opportunities in it. So, if you leave these guys, we don’t make them know that what they are doing is wrong, if you leave them, they will continue to see it as a way of life to make money.”
He stated that because of their young ages, the EFCC would impose mild terms to punish minors for cybercrimes they committed, while simultaneously focusing on helping them alter their orientation.
“We plead for light sentences so that we can reorientate them and that’s part of what we’re doing. What joy will I derive from sending a 17-year-old boy to jail? You have destroyed his future. You have destroyed his career.
“Sometimes they give them options of fines and all of that conviction, so we bring them in, lecture them and talk to them.”
In a daring display of his abilities, the boy confidently informed Olukoyede that he could transfer up to 10 million naira from any account in one transaction.
He said the 17-year-old boy, when he was done, said, “Look, oga, I can make 10 million now. I will demonstrate it to you. I will move money from your account to mine.
“I said no, don’t do that in my office and he was ready to do that. When he opened my laptop, I didn’t give him the key to my laptop and he had access.”
When asked about his involvement in cybercrime, the youngster stated that his parents, both farmers, were unable to work on their farm owing to security worries.
“He has two younger ones. One is in JSS2 and the other is in SSS2. He is the one feeding his parents and responsible for the payment of tuition for his younger ones.
“I saw a Bill Gates in that guy.”
However, Olukoyede informed the youngster that if he was successful in stopping the unlawful deed, he would accept responsibility for his education.
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“I told my family, we are going to do that.
“I spoke to one of my friends who is also ready to help take up the schooling of the SSS 2 guy. So I’m still looking for someone who will take up the one for the JSS 2 sibling.”
This is not the first time the EFCC chairman has announced the anti-graft agency’s strategy to rehabilitate convicted online fraudsters through lower terms.
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