HURIWA faults EFCC over parade of seven-year-old boy for cybercrime

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for parading a seven-year-old boy, Victor Odeh, who was later convicted by the Kaduna State High Court, following prosecution by the agency on June 26, 2023.

Victor, alongside four other undergraduates, Chidebere Stanley Opara, Manasseh Sefa Ephraim, Chukwukere Obinna Paul, and Enyogu Etim Ekpo, were reportedly found guilty on separate one-count charges related to internet fraud.

The group described the development as disconcerting, indecorous, and ill-conceived. It also decried a recent report suggesting the head of the agency said seven out of 10 Nigerian undergraduates may be involved in cybercrimes.

HURIWA questioned the rationale behind charging a seven-year-old child in the same regular court with adults, when the anti-corruption agency could have done more investigation to ascertain whether the child was not actually bullied by the adults to participate in the fraud.

National Coordinator, HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “The National Assembly needs to work out a law to make it obligatory that children who are in conflict with the law are not unduly exposed and demonised. It is absolutely inappropriate to parade a child for a crime known to have been initiated by adults.

“To rub salt into injury, the media parade of this little boy is tantamount to psychologically damaging the reputation of this boy for life, which is unfair, illegal and wicked.

“We don’t condone crimes but we believe that such a child ought not to have been so recklessly exposed, even when the EFCC was pursuing justice for the victims of the reprehensible crimes.”

He also faulted a statement credited to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukayode, that 70 per cent of Nigerian university students could be involved in internet fraud.

HURIWA said this sort of stereotyping by the EFCC for the consumption of global followers of development in Africa, is unacceptable and has graphically profiled Nigerian students as criminals.