By Laraba Murey
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has warned Nigerians, especially civil society groups and the media, to be cautious of cryptocurrency deals that may expose them to fraud and damage their integrity.
The warning was issued on Wednesday by an officer from the cybercrime section of the Commission, Sam Agbi Enahoro, at the 2025 EFCC–Media/Civil Society Organisations Capacity-Building Workshop held at the EFCC Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
Enahoro explained the technicalities in cryptocurrency transactions and pointed out how fraudsters were using the platform to dupe unsuspecting people. He cautioned: “When it is too good to be true, please don’t do it.”
Earlier, the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, represented by the Commission’s spokesperson, Commander CE Wilson Uwujaren, said collaboration and deep understanding of corruption issues were crucial to achieving sustainable success in the anti-graft war.
“The media and civil society organisations, no doubt, are very critical to the work of fighting every form of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption. The nexus between the media and civil society organisations is very strong, they are like the right ear and left ear of the same horse. They have a shared mandate exposing shadiness and integrity deficit in individuals and groups across the country. This is why the Commission considered it imperative to bring together these stakeholders in a capacity-building workshop,” he said.
Olukoyede also stressed the importance of public involvement in the anti-graft fight. “Our commitment to stakeholders’ engagement is absolute. Public ownership of the fight against corruption remains the most potent and enduring modality of driving and sustaining the fight. Closely related to this is the enlightened conversation on salient issues involved in the anti-graft fight,” he added.
On challenges in prosecuting financial crimes, Director of Legal and Prosecution at EFCC, Dr. Ben Ubi, noted that the Commission’s efforts helped remove Nigeria from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list of non-cooperating countries. “If not for the painstaking efforts of the EFCC, the country would have long been blacklisted,” he said.
Speaking on the preventive framework, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, DCE Dele Oyewale, urged the media and CSOs to join in strengthening anti-graft strategies. “If we wait until the money is stolen, the assets are stolen and everything is stolen before we now embark on recovery drive, there is no way you can recover all. But if there are modalities in place that will safeguard the stealing of the money, the looting of the treasury or any other thing that fraudulent people may want to do, then we will be able to save the society from all of these losses,” he said.
Chief of Staff to the EFCC, CE Michael Nzekwe, also commended the media and civil society for supporting the Commission. “Nigeria is the greatest beneficiary of the work that we all do and sometimes there can be pressures here and there, but in all of that, always put the nation and EFCC first,” he said.
Olukoyede, in his closing remarks, stressed the Commission’s determination to move the nation forward despite resistance. “Without fear or favour and in taking such a route, corruption is bound to fight back. By whatever means the fight back is designed, we cannot be rattled or intimidated. As far as we are concerned, right is might, and as it is often said, conscience is an open wound, only the truth can heal,” he declared.
