Renowned cyber-security specialist Chidiebere Ihediwa has proposed a novel approach for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in dealing with arrested educated online fraudsters, commonly known as “Yahoo Boys.” Ihediwa suggests that the EFCC should focus on re-orienting these individuals towards becoming information technology (IT) specialists or cyber-security experts instead of allowing them to remain in detention or face dissolution, which he views as destructive.
Ihediwa made this recommendation during an award ceremony held in his honor at the Police Officers Mess in GRA Ikeja, Lagos. He received the Star Award in Cyber-Security Development and Data Analysis in Nigeria from the online publication Cornerstone.ng.
According to Ihediwa, the knowledge possessed by these individuals can be categorized as either positive or negative. He believes that despite the education and skills of many cyber fraudsters, their knowledge is not aligned with the positive knowledge needed for societal development.
The cyber-security specialist emphasized the potential benefits of redirecting the knowledge and skills of these individuals towards more meaningful ventures, which he believes would be advantageous for the nation as a whole.
Expressing his gratitude, Ihediwa thanked the management of Cornerstone.ng for recognizing his contributions and bringing him into the spotlight through the award.
In a welcome address, a representative of Cornerstone.ng, Chris Oji, explained that Ihediwa had been nominated for the award late last year but was unable to attend the ceremony. As a result, the management decided to honor him in the new year in light of his outstanding contributions to software development and information technology in Nigeria.
Daily Nigerian