Youths and cyber crime in Nigeria

Youths are described as leaders of tomorrow. Many agree that youths are a reflection of the society. The nature of the sociopolitical and economic environment which have prevailed in the country imposed constraints in terms of meeting the needs and aspirations of the youths.

It is very glaring that no country aspiring to greatness can afford to ignore the contributions of its youths or allow them to constitute a major threat to the realisation of its policies and programmes.

Unfortunately, the current social, economic and political trends have left a sour taste in the mouth of the youths; particularly those from poor social and economic backgrounds.

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It is apparent that the present craving for money and other acquisition regarded as yardstick for determining the status of individuals in the society seems to have worsened the plight of youths. This is because they have eroded the societal value for dignity of labour and moral integrity as youths have directed their energies to earning a living through fair or foul means.

It is disheartening and worrisome that some youths involve in cyber crime to the detriment of the image of the country. The internet crimes grew out of the fact that teenagers are not monitored by their parents and schools. Some students are exposed through the internet to unwholesome literature through reading junk mails on the net. Some of them visit pornographic sites to share fun with people of opposite sex. It is not pleasant for parents to run permissive homes at the expense of their children and wards.

Recalcitrant youths are defrauding unsuspecting members of the public of huge sums of money and valuable possessions. The prevalence of cyber crime calls for the urgent attention of the government, considering the devastating effects on social and economic life of the citizenry.

In Nigeria, the three-pronged advent of the internet, computers and the mobile phones gave rise to massive outbreak of cyber crimes. It is very glaring that criminals and fraudsters leverage on anonymity provided by the internet to defraud unsuspecting victims. The fraudsters are fond of impersonating others and stealing their identities to perpetrate their acts. They could take the undue advantage of a family member in distress to swindle their victims.

The high rate of unemployment, harsh economic conditions and poor educational systems contribute immensely to the proliferation of cyber crimes in Nigeria. Youths are no longer facing the reality of canvassing for vocational jobs where they find it difficult to get a white collar job. The inordinate ambition and quest for wealth is the reason most desperate youths for cyber crimes without taking into cognisance the consequence of their actions.

The country is not implementing stringent legislation to dissuade youths from partaking in cyber crimes. Weak and fragile laws regarding cyber criminals exist in Nigeria. The most unfortunate is that the nation is not adequately equipped with sophisticated hardware to track down the criminals.

Eradication of cyber crimes is achievable provided all the stakeholders can collaborate to it. For the nation to thrive, we must build on a crime-free society.

Tunde Ajibike

tunajib10@gmail.com

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