The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has sensitized students of Baze University on the growing vices of sextortion and trafficking.
The exercise was held at the ongoing 6th Baze University Career Week Program (BaCWeP), with the theme, “Cyberbullying Menace: A Mental Health Issue to Career Growth. Depression and Anxiety Amongst Youth in Nigeria”.
Held at the university’s Faculty of Law, the event gathered students, dignitaries, and experts to discuss the impact of cyberbullying and its relation to mental health challenges among Youth in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, NACAT’s Operations Manager, Stanley Ugagbe, presented a detailed session on sextortion and trafficking, unveiling the organisation’s campaign tagged “See Something, Say Something.”
He urged students to speak up when faced with online harassment and sextortion, noting the devastating effects of silence on mental health.
Explaining a documentary presented by NACAT that showcased global cases of cyberbullying, Ugagbe educated the students on the importance of being cautious in digital spaces.
Ugagbe shared insights on the recent case of the Ogoshi brothers, Samuel and Samson who were each sentenced to 210 months in prison over their sextortion crime.
Ugagbe stated that the two brothers met their waterloo after a 17-year-old Jordan DeMay committed suicide following his inability to meet the demands of the sextortionists – a development that forced the FBI to launch an investigation which uncovered the Nigerian-based sextortion ring operated by the Ogoshi brothers as the mastermind behind the act.
The manager noted that there are different kinds of Sextortion which include online harassment, blackmail and coercion.
Ugagbe recalled a case of a lady who was trafficked to Oman and noted that NACAT was able to rescue the lady who has now returned to Nigeria.
In his words, Ugagbe stated that signs of sextortion or trafficking include unexplained changes in behaviour, withdrawal from social activities, and unusual financial transactions.
Offering online safety tips, the group’s Operations Manager urged the students to be cautious with online relationships, verify profiles and identities, and also avoid sharing sensitive content.
