A group of Concerned Edo Youths on Saturday declared its support for the clampdown by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on the criminal activities of internet fraudsters, popularly referred to as ‘Yahoo boys’.
The group also kicked against last week’s protest against the anti-graft agency by some youths over the arrest of suspected ‘Yahoo boys’ in Benin City, the state capital.
Convener of the group, Comrade Gbale Joseph, while addressing newsmen, described the protest by the youths against the anti-graft agency as a “terrible image of us as Nigerians”.
Recall that some youths had penultimate week, staged a protest against EFCC over the clampdown on some suspected internet fraudsters in the state.
However, the concerned youths at a press conference, said no effort must be spared in ridding the society of undesirable elements who were in the habit of swindling hard working Nigerians of their legitimate earnings, thereby called for support for the EFCC.
While calling for the immediate arrest and persecution of all those involved in that dastardly act of assaulting those police officers also expressed confidence in EFCC in carrying out mandate.
“These individuals attempt to cloak their actions under the guise of civic protest, staging rallies or campaigns to claim victimhood. They invoke civic rights as a shield against accountability, framing their arrests as oppression rather than legal consequence.
“This narrative is both dangerous and misleading. It undermines the real essence of civic rights and threatens the integrity of the legitimate struggles for social justice.
“We demand the immediate arrest of those police officers in that viral video where they destroyed a vehicle as a reprisal attack, as they should have conducted themselves as law enforcement officers and not law breakers
“That Edo people must support law enforcement agencies as they move to combat crime in the state as no crime is small, because little crimes makes up big crimes,” the group said.
It urged both the state and federal governments to deepen its approach on youth empowerment and job creation, while noting that crimes are linked to unemployment and poverty.
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