Acting chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, on Saturday reacted to the arrest of Instagram celebrity, Ramon Igbalode, popularly known as Hushpuppi, saying that the anti-graft agency was not involved in his arrest.
Hushpuppi was on Wednesday June 10 arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) alongside his colleagues, by International Police (INTERPOL) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for alleged fraud.
In an interview with TVC (TV Continental), Mr Magu said that “we are yet to be involved in the case of Hushpuppi. But if they happen to give us this thing (details), we would assist.”
Magu denied the allegation that the agency is mostly interested in the arrest and prosecution of internet fraudsters, but added that the Commission also rehabilitates the suspects arrested for internet fraud.
According to him, “we are not all about arresting, prosecuting and chasing of internet fraudsters, and taking away the proceeds of their crime. But we are also trying to see whether we can rehabilitate them. Because most of this (sic) boys are either undergraduate or graduate from higher institutions. So, they can be better people to our country. The menace of Yahoo boys is also a cause of concern.
“We are collaborating with other law enforcement agencies. Yahoo boys have an association with their mothers who do not feel what their children are doing is a crime actually. It is called the “Yahoo Yahoo Mothers Association”. A situation where the mother would go abroad and the child would stay there and help them syphon funds from credit card fraud. So, we are doing everything possible to arrest the situation.”