By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-chief)
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on Thursday, May 7, 2026, charged students of J.K Peoples Comprehensive Academy to imbibe the spirit of integrity, honesty and accountability in their daily lives and shun all forms of corruption and cybercrime.
He made the call in Abuja when officers of the Commission launched an Integrity Club at the school.
Olukoyede, who spoke through the Head, Radio Unit of the EFCC, Deputy Commander of the EFCC, DCE Nwanyinma Okeanu reiterated the need for committed action against corruption owing to the devastating consequences of the menace in Nigeria.
He stated that corruption was responsible for the stagnation, retardation, distortion and dislocation of growth and development in our nation. He charged them to understand the havocs being wrecked on the nation by corrupt practices and make concerted efforts to confront them.
"As students, you need to have deeper insights into the havoc being wrecked on our nation by the monster of corruption. In its simplest description, corruption is the compromise of rules, regulations, policies, standards and directive principles of running a system. It is deliberate use of public opportunities, resources and privileges for private gains. In any system where corruption holds sway, no progress of any kind can be made. Nigeria is in its present state owing to the cumulative effects of corrupt practices”, he said.
He took time to explain the various typologies of fraudulent dealings the EFCC is tackling. They include money laundering, embezzlement, forgery, advance fee fraud, contract scam, employment scam, land and property fraud, tax fraud, internet fraud, stealing, bribery, procurement fraud, banking fraud, among others. “All these crimes are variants of corrupt practices. Every form of internet fraud, such as romance scam, business email compromise, hacking, impersonation, forex scam and others are corrupt practices and must not be found among you”, he said.
Also Speaking, Head Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE11 Aisha Muhammed, reiterated the role children can play in the fight against corruption and cybercrime. She charged them to imbibe the spirit of integrity and shun all forms of corruption and other societal menace.
"Children are very important in the fight against corruption. What we are doing now is the preventive mandate of the EFCC and do you know why? You are the future of Nigeria. We have to mould you from now, we have to tell you the good, bad and the ugly. When we tell you all these, we also have to direct your perspective and position because you are an important stakeholder in this fight”, she said.
She further called on the students to shun all forms of corruption urging them to say “No” when the need arises, adding that through these interactions and enlightenment, students can learn how to say no.
“Continuing, Mohammed pointed out that, “You have to learn to say No, and one way to say No is for us to talk to you by creating an integrity club here for you to voice out. We try to instil the spirit of integrity in you, talk to you about societal menaces that are happening, new trends in cybercrime and we want you to be our partners, help us fight against corruption because your voices matter."
Speaking on behalf of the School management, Patron of the school, Chijoke Okoro, appreciated the effort of the EFCC in installing the spirit of good moral conduct in the students and finding the school worthy for the establishment of an Integrity Club.
"We deeply appreciate your enlightenment lecture and your efforts towards establishing the Integrity Club in our school. The lessons and values you have imbibed in us today on integrity, honesty and accountability and the danger of corruption will surely leave a lasting impact on our students and staff. It is our prayer that God will continue to strengthen and guide the EFCC in its mission of building a corrupt free society and inspiring young people to become responsible leaders of tomorrow’, he said.
Head Boy of the school, Marwan Aliyu, stated that the presence of the EFCC demonstrated its commitment to shaping the younger generation into responsible citizens who will stand against corruption and uphold truth and transparency in all areas of life.
He expressed optimism that the knowledge and values of anti-corruption will impact on the students positively and influence their character, academic life and future leadership roles. NNL.
