The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should devise methods of re-orienting arrested educated online fraudsters (aka Yahoo Boys) to become information technology specialists, a cyber-security specialist, Mr Chidiebere Ihediwa advises.
According to him, this strategy is better, rather than allow them languish in detention or undergo destructive dissolution.
Ihedinwa, also a renowned software developer, made the call on Wednesday during an award ceremony in his honour at the Police Officers Mess, GRA Ikeja, Lagos.
Ihediwa was honoured with a Star Award in Cyber-Security Development and Data Analysis in Nigeria by an online publication, Cornerstone.ng.
According to Ihediwa, knowledge can be categorised into two – positive and negative.
He explained that even if there were many educated young men among the cyber fraudsters, their inherent knowledge was at variance with the ideal positive knowledge needed for societal development.
The Cyber-security specialist pointed out that re-directing the knowledge of the yahoo boys to meaningful venture will be of great advantage to the nation.
He thanked the management of Cornerstone.ng for bringing him to the lime light through the award.
In his welcome address, representative of Cornerstone.ng Mr Chris Oji, said Ihediwa, who was among nominees for award late last year, was unavoidably absent at the occasion, hence management chose to bestow the honour on him in the new year.
Oji said that Ihediwa rightly deserved the award in view of his outstanding contributions to software development and information technology in Nigeria.
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