The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, July 28, 2023 launched a Zero Tolerance Club at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State in furtherance of its sensitization campaign against corrupt practices,

Speaking at the event, the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol, charged members of the Club to resist all forms of economic and financial crimes and deploy their talents and training to socially beneficial use.

“The need for committed action against corruption has become imperative, owing to the devastating consequences of the menace on our nation”, he said. Chukkol, who spoke through EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Commander of EFCC, CE Osita Nwajah, explained that , “the EFCC tackles economic and financial crimes and they include, money laundering, forgery, advance fee fraud, contract scam, employment scam, land and property fraud, internet fraud, stealing, bribery, procurement fraud, and banking fraud, among others.”

He enjoined members of the Club to stay away from internet-related crimes, warning that “yahoo-yahoo practice is an abominable crime”.

The Maiduguri Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of EFCC, ACE I Oshodi Johnson, on his part, urged members of the Club and youths across the country to focus on the positive and developmental use of the internet.

In the same vein, Head of Enlightenment and Re-orientation Unit of the Commission, ACE 11 Aisha Mohammed, explained that,” the EFCC decided on the Zero Tolerance Club because of the need to inculcate the”Change Begins With Me” attitude in the youth. “The Commission cannot do it alone, we need you people to support us and we need to come together and save Nigeria from the shackles of corruption. A lot of things are happening in Maiduguri in terms of terrorist financing and money laundering, which demand our collective actions to expose and tackle”, she said.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Aliyu Shugaba, who was represented by the Dean of the Postgraduate School, Professor Yakubu Mukhtar, commended the EFCC for the one-day engagement. “For the EFCC to achieve its mandate in the fight against economic and financial crimes, there is the need for collaboration between agencies of government, institutions, youth and individuals as the EFCC cannot do the work alone. Therefore, the University of Maiduguri will give its maximum cooperation in the fight against economic and financial crimes”, he said.

Earlier, the EFCC team paid a Courtesy Visit to the Vice Chancellor in his office. Nwajah, who conveyed Chukkol’s appreciation to him, stressed that the Zero-Tolerance Club is a unique initiative of the EFCC, aimed at value orientation to prevent young people from becoming entangled with crimes that fall within the mandate of the Commission.

Expressing delight with the visit, Professor Shugaba called for more collaboration to achieve mutually beneficial objectives of the institutions. “The university and the EFCC can as well collaborate in the area of training and re-training of our staff; because that is the best way to educate and develop an organization”, he said.