Internet Fraudsters Leaving Ekiti, Former Senator

Former Senator Babafemi Ojudu has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stepped up its fight against internet fraudsters. This has led to a mass movement of young cybercriminals out of Ekiti State. Hotels, lounges, and apartments in Ado Ekiti are now facing low patronage.

Ojudu shared his thoughts in a Facebook post on Tuesday. He said the recent EFCC operations show how much some parts of Ekiti’s economy depend on the spending of suspected internet fraudsters.

His comments come just two months after the EFCC opened a new Zonal Directorate office in Ado Ekiti. The agency believes this move will improve its work in Ekiti and nearby Ondo State.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, during the office launch, warned that “tough times” are ahead for fraudsters in the area. He assured law-abiding residents that they should not worry about the EFCC’s increased presence.

But Ojudu, who was a Special Adviser to the late President Muhammadu Buhari and worked under then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said many young men known as “Yahoo boys” are now leaving for cities like Ibadan, Akure, Osogbo, and Lagos to escape the crackdown.

“The EFCC has finally come to town. Not just occasional raids, but with a permanent presence,” Ojudu wrote. “Many young men known as Yahoo boys, along with their friends, have reportedly fled in large numbers. Their fear of the EFCC has become the beginning of wisdom.”

Ojudu said he thought reports of empty hotels and quiet lounges were exaggerated until he visited several businesses in Ado Ekiti. He spent almost an hour at a restaurant in a well-known hotel, overlooking the pool, without seeing another customer.

“I was the only customer,” he wrote. He mentioned that this hotel had been very busy just two years ago due to many young men frequenting it.

He also visited a popular lounge in the city, which he described as “almost deserted.” He noticed that hotel parking lots, once filled with luxury cars, are now mostly empty.

The effects are more than just on entertainment and hospitality venues. Ojudu noted that landlords are complaining about vacant apartments. Mechanics who used to work on expensive cars are now waiting a long time for clients. Beer parlour owners and used-car sellers are also seeing fewer customers.

The former senator’s comments come as the EFCC increases its anti-corruption efforts in Ekiti. In June, the agency opened its permanent zonal headquarters in Ado Ekiti to enhance its investigations and actions against financial crimes in the area.

During the opening, Vice President Kashim Shettima, standing in for President Bola Tinubu, called the new facility a big boost for Nigeria’s fight against corruption. EFCC Chairman Olukoyede promised ongoing efforts against economic crimes.

The EFCC has also ramped up prosecutions in the state. A couple was recently charged in the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti over alleged N1.09 billion contract fraud. They are accused of diverting funds into properties and other assets linked to crime.

Though the EFCC has not officially connected the slow business in Ado Ekiti to its actions, Ojudu believes the agency’s continued presence has changed the state’s economic situation.

“The empty hotels and deserted lounges may show temporary economic pain,” he said. “The emptiness of our moral landscape is a bigger tragedy. Empty hotels can be filled again. A generation lacking values is harder to restore.”

While he recognizes the immediate economic issues from the crackdown, Ojudu said it reveals a bigger social problem. He pointed out that many parts of the urban economy now rely on the money made from internet fraud. That should worry everyone.

He warned that many young Nigerians see internet fraud as a good career choice. He lamented the loss of values that used to promote education, hard work, and professional success.

According to him, the risk goes beyond financial crimes. “When ordinary internet fraud does not bring in enough money, darker stories come up. There are troubling reports of Yahoo Plus, ritual practices, organ trafficking, and other criminal activities supposedly meant to ensure success,” he wrote.

He argued that a society that rewards unexplained riches could create future leaders whose values come from criminality instead of integrity. “If fraud becomes the classroom for today’s youth, fraud will become the language through which tomorrow’s society is run,” he warned.