Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that any landlord or landlady that let his or her house to internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo boys, will henceforth face prosecution. According to the agency, such house owners will be liable to 15 years imprisonment if found guilty.
Announcing this via its Twitter handle, the Commission said further details would be given on the new policy tomorrow, Wednesday, June 29. EFCC said the forum ‘EFCCCONNECT’, which would be held via Twitter Space would be used to create awareness for Nigerians.
Announcing the forum to create awareness of the new policy, the EFCC said: “Be part of this interesting conversation as we discuss the implications of having your property in use by criminals, on the next edition of #EFCCConnect.”
According to the Commission, its Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution, Sylvanus Tahir, and Assistant Director Legal and Prosecution, Cosmos Ugwu, would be leading the awareness discussion.
Nigerians react
- This announcement is already generating reactions from Nigerians on Twitter. According to them, this policy would put many landlords in policy as an internet fraudster will not inform a landlord of his criminal trade before renting a house. “How would a landlord know a yahoo boy?” One of the Twitter users queried.
- While some are commending the EFCC for this new move, others said the fraudsters would devise other means by buying houses themselves.
- Some are also challenging the anti-graft agency to go after corrupt politicians the same way it has been on the trail of internet fraudsters.
Where to start from, in my humble opinion, is to create a desk at EFCC for all Land Lords to profile all intended tenants, and obtain clearance from the agency before leasing or letting the house out. . I know it would be difficult for a disordered Nigeria to appreciate this position.
All that’s going to achieve is to make it difficult (if not) impossible for young people to rent property. It’s already almost impossible for young women to do so.
This is unnecessary victimization of landlords. People can tender fake documents to landlords or even use proxies to rent apartments to deceive landlords. Not to talk of the difficulty it would create for honest young professionals or businessmen seeking for accommodation. I don’t think this is a well thought out strategy by the EFCC. And I also agree that they should go after corrupt politicians with the same aggressiveness. Most young Nigerians query the sincerity of the commission’s fight against corruption because they allow many big thieves in past and current government to walk even after initial noise about their arrests. Of course, the judiciary is also partly to blame for the lack of successful prosecution of corrupt politicians.
Only the court can say that. sorry EFCC , you are not the court!!!
Since it’s internet fraudsters that are the main problem in this country I don’t think landlord should be held for letting house to yahoo boys, why don’t the efcc go after those corrupt politicians, unserious set of people