Law NGO begins rehab for youths involved in cybercrime

A law foundation, Velma Action to Reduce Cybercrimes (VELMAARC) will early next year begin a rehabilitation programme for repentant cyber criminals in Nigeria.

The group has been worried by the growing cases of cyber fraud by Nigerians which has been giving the country bad image in the international community.

Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, conveners of the rehabilitation programme, Director of Velma

Foundation and Project Manager, David Ashaolu; Director of Velma Foundation, Abiodun Oduwole; and Project Coordinator, Joy Ihuoma said the social intervention programme targets individuals who volunteer to stop the illicit activity.

According to the organisers, a bootcamp will be opened in Ilesha, Osun State between January and February, 2020 where the participants will be trained for six months in various IT skills for gainful employment, and to assist law enforcement agencies in tackling cybercrimes in Nigeria.

“If we rehabilitate one cybercriminal (Yahoo Boy), we have saved hundreds of potential victims. We believe therefore that to stop the scourge, we have to plug the drain,” Ashaolu said.

Ashaolu also quoted a victim of a Nigerian cyberfraud, Carla Ceravalo, who believes that it is better to stop Nigerian youths from committing crimes that to put them in prison because “’when you put criminals in prison, the victims suffer, and the criminals too.’”

The Cybercrime Prohibition Act, 2015 was enacted to address the scourge. The foundation will partner with several organisations like the EFCC, Nigerian Police, Federal Ministry of Justice, ICPC, FIRS, CBN, and other ICT agencies such as Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Communications Commission (NCC).