Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has warned young Nigerian girls against sextortion, online blackmail and involvement in cybercrime, urging them to protect their personal information, reject criminal schemes and pursue legitimate opportunities for financial independence.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede delivered the warning through the commission’s Head of Enlightenment and Re-orientation Unit, Assistant Commander of the EFCC Aisha Muhammed, at an event in Abuja on Monday, October 12, 2026, organised by the African Girl Guild to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.
According to reports by Chronicle.ng and ThisAge, Olukoyede expressed concern about sextortion, a form of online abuse in which perpetrators threaten to expose intimate images, videos or other sensitive material to force victims to pay money or comply with their demands.
The EFCC chairman also cautioned young women against allowing their bank accounts or digital identities to be used for fraudulent transactions, warning that participation in cybercrime can expose individuals to criminal investigation and prosecution.
The message combined a warning about online exploitation with a call for young women to develop practical skills, manage their finances responsibly and avoid becoming accomplices in financial crimes.
The intervention comes amid wider concerns about online blackmail, digital fraud and the misuse of social media and messaging platforms. Nigerian authorities have increasingly emphasised the need for cybersecurity awareness, particularly among young people who use digital platforms for communication, education, business and entertainment.
However, efforts to prevent sextortion must also recognise that victims can be targeted through manipulation, threats, deception and the unauthorised use of private images. Protecting young people requires not only responsible digital behaviour but also effective reporting channels, support for victims and action against perpetrators.
EFCC Raises Concern Over Sextortion Targeting Young Women
At the Abuja event, Olukoyede warned that sextortionists exploit vulnerable situations and personal relationships to pressure victims into surrendering money or meeting other demands.
The EFCC chairman urged girls to exercise caution in their online and offline relationships and to recognise warning signs of manipulation and blackmail.
The commission’s message reflects the financial and personal harm that sextortion can cause. Perpetrators may initially establish trust with a victim before persuading the person to share intimate images or other sensitive information. They may then threaten to distribute the material unless the victim pays money, sends additional content or follows instructions.
In other cases, criminals may obtain images without consent, access private accounts or use fabricated material to threaten someone.
The spread of digital communication has made it easier for perpetrators to contact victims across geographical boundaries. Threats can be delivered through social media, messaging applications, dating platforms and other online services.
Victims may feel pressured to comply because they fear humiliation, family conflict, damage to their reputation or the possibility that intimate material will reach classmates, colleagues or relatives.
These fears can make it difficult for victims to seek help, particularly when they are young or financially dependent on others.
The EFCC’s warning therefore highlights the need for awareness of online manipulation and the importance of reporting suspected criminal activity.
At the same time, responsibility for sextortion rests with the person making the threats. A victim’s decision to trust someone, enter a relationship or share private material does not give another person the right to exploit or blackmail them.
EFCC Warns Against Using Bank Accounts for Fraud
Beyond sextortion, the commission warned young women against participating in cybercrime by allowing other people to use their bank accounts or by helping to move money obtained through illegal activities.
According to Chronicle.ng, Olukoyede cautioned girls against becoming account mules for internet fraudsters or engaging in online blackmail.
An account mule is a person whose bank account or payment details are used to receive, hold or transfer money on behalf of another individual or group. In some cases, account holders are recruited through promises of easy money, employment, commissions or other financial benefits.
Criminal networks may use such accounts to move funds obtained through scams, conceal the identity of beneficiaries or make it more difficult for investigators to trace transactions.
Some participants may understand that they are helping a fraudulent operation, while others may be misled about the source of the money or the nature of the transactions.
Regardless of the circumstances, allowing another person to use an account for suspicious transactions can create serious legal and financial risks. An account holder may face questions from financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies about transactions conducted through the account.
The EFCC’s message was that young Nigerians should not allow financial pressure, peer influence or promises of quick returns to draw them into criminal activity.
For students and young jobseekers, the warning is particularly relevant when encountering online offers that promise unusually high payments for simple tasks, require the receipt of funds on behalf of strangers or demand access to bank details.
Legitimate employment and business arrangements should have clear terms, identifiable counterparties and verifiable purposes. Individuals should be cautious when a person asks to use their account to receive or transfer money without a credible explanation.
The broader challenge for enforcement agencies is to distinguish between deliberate participation in fraud and situations in which individuals have been manipulated or recruited deceptively. Investigations should establish the circumstances of each case, while public education should help people recognise and avoid suspicious arrangements.
Digital Integrity and the Responsibility of Young People
The EFCC also encouraged young women to act responsibly online and report wrongdoing rather than participate in activities that expose others to financial or personal harm.
The commission has previously promoted integrity and digital responsibility through school visits, awareness campaigns and youth-focused programmes.
In February 2026, the EFCC reported that Olukoyede had urged students at a University of Abuja conference to avoid cybercrime and use their talents constructively through entrepreneurship, music, art, innovation and other legitimate activities.
The commission’s approach places prevention alongside enforcement. Public awareness programmes seek to discourage young people from entering criminal networks before investigations and prosecutions become necessary.
Such programmes can help students understand that internet fraud is not simply a shortcut to wealth. It can harm victims, expose participants to criminal penalties and undermine trust in legitimate digital businesses.
However, digital integrity also requires more than general appeals to good behaviour. Young people need practical information about protecting accounts, recognising scams, securing personal data and responding when someone attempts to blackmail them.
Schools, parents, community organisations and technology platforms can contribute by teaching young people how to identify manipulative behaviour and where to seek assistance.
For girls who experience online threats, access to a trusted adult, counsellor, legal adviser or appropriate law-enforcement channel may be critical to stopping the abuse.
The objective should be to help young people make informed decisions while ensuring that those who exploit them are held accountable.
What Is Sextortion and How Does It Work?
Sextortion is a form of coercion involving threats connected to intimate images, sexual material or other sensitive information. The perpetrator typically uses fear of exposure to demand money, additional images, sexual acts or other forms of compliance.
The crime can affect people of different ages and backgrounds. Young people may be particularly vulnerable because they are still developing their understanding of online risks and may be reluctant to disclose sensitive experiences to adults.
A common pattern begins with contact through a social media account, messaging application or online platform. The perpetrator may establish a relationship, impersonate another person or persuade the target to share private material.
Once the perpetrator obtains the material, the interaction may change. The victim may receive threats that the images will be sent to family members, friends, classmates or the wider public unless the demands are met.
Some offenders also use stolen images, hacked accounts or digitally manipulated material. Advances in artificial intelligence have increased the ability to create convincing fake images, making it possible to threaten a person with fabricated sexual content even when the person never created or shared such material.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) addressed this growing risk in an advisory reported by Nairametrics on October 3, 2026. The agency warned that sextortion can affect children, teenagers and adults and noted that artificial intelligence can be used to generate convincing fake explicit images.
The development reinforces the need to understand that digital threats are not always based on genuine photographs or videos. A fabricated image can still be used to intimidate a victim and cause significant distress.
People facing such threats should not assume that paying the perpetrator will end the abuse. Criminals may continue making demands after receiving money or material.
Instead, victims should seek help, preserve relevant evidence and report the incident through appropriate channels.
What Victims Should Do When Threatened
The EFCC’s warning focused on prevention and integrity, while cybersecurity guidance from NITDA provides practical steps for people facing sextortion.
Anyone receiving threats should consider the following actions:
Preserve evidence. Save screenshots of threatening messages, usernames, profile information, payment demands and relevant account details. Preserve the information securely and avoid altering it unnecessarily.
Do not send more material. If a perpetrator demands additional images or videos, complying may expose the victim to further exploitation.
Be cautious about paying. Sending money does not guarantee that the perpetrator will delete the material or stop making threats. Further demands may follow.
Seek help from a trusted person. Young victims should be encouraged to speak with a trusted adult, guardian, counsellor or other appropriate support person. Fear and shame should not prevent them from seeking protection.
Report the account and content. Victims can use the reporting mechanisms provided by the relevant platform to flag blackmail, impersonation, non-consensual intimate material or other abuse.
Contact the appropriate authorities. Suspected criminal threats should be reported to law-enforcement agencies with the relevant evidence. NITDA’s reported guidance also recommended contacting the Nigeria Police Force Cybercrime Unit.
Where a child is involved, the response should prioritise the child’s safety, privacy and protection from further harm. Adults should avoid circulating intimate material, even when trying to prove that the abuse occurred.
Victims should also be cautious about people who claim they can remove images or recover money for a fee. Some fraudulent operators target people who are already distressed by threatening to expose material further or demanding payment for supposed assistance.
These steps cannot guarantee an immediate resolution in every case, but they can help preserve evidence, limit further engagement with the perpetrator and improve the prospects of an appropriate response.
EFCC Encourages Skills, Financial Awareness and Self-Reliance
The commission’s message extended beyond warnings about crime to the importance of financial independence.
According to reports of the Abuja event, Olukoyede urged young women to develop marketable skills in areas such as technology, tailoring, baking, content creation and coding.
The advice reflects the importance of creating legitimate pathways to income at a time when young people face pressure to achieve financial independence and may encounter online schemes promising quick rewards.
Digital skills can create opportunities in employment, entrepreneurship, education and creative industries. However, the benefits depend on access to training, reliable tools, mentorship and opportunities to apply those skills.
Young people also need financial education that helps them distinguish legitimate opportunities from offers designed to exploit their personal information or bank accounts.
The EFCC chairman encouraged girls to manage their earnings carefully and develop savings habits. Financial awareness can help young people plan for their needs, avoid unnecessary debt and become more cautious about arrangements that promise unusually high returns without a clear explanation.
Still, financial independence cannot be achieved through individual effort alone. Access to education, affordable training, safe communities and employment opportunities also influences whether young people can build sustainable livelihoods.
Government institutions, schools, employers and civil society organisations therefore have a role in expanding access to legitimate skills development and economic participation.
For girls who are vulnerable to financial exploitation, practical training and reliable employment information can help reduce dependence on people offering money in exchange for risky or illegal activities.
African Girl Guild Highlights Investment in Girls
The warning was delivered at an event organised by the African Girl Guild to mark the International Day of the Girl Child.
Reports identified the event’s theme as “Invest in her, Empower her and Let her Lead.”
Denen Petronella, identified in reports as an executive assistant to Jindu Peter, founder of the African Girl Guide, spoke about the importance of giving girls confidence, knowledge, skills, protection, mentorship and opportunities to discover their potential.
The event also announced the launch of the AGG Camp Amani School Club, described as a platform intended to help girls develop leadership and life skills, build confidence and explore opportunities during the school year.
The initiative reflects a wider understanding of girls’ empowerment: protection from abuse must be accompanied by access to education, skills, supportive relationships and meaningful opportunities to participate in society.
Cybersecurity awareness fits into this broader agenda because digital platforms are now important spaces for learning, communication and economic activity. Girls should be able to benefit from those opportunities without being exposed to preventable exploitation.
School-based clubs and awareness programmes can help young people learn about responsible digital behaviour, recognise manipulation and understand where to report abuse. Their effectiveness, however, depends on sustained engagement and access to support when problems arise.
The available reports did not provide an independent evaluation of the new club’s expected reach or impact. Its long-term contribution will depend on how the programme is implemented and whether girls receive continued support beyond the launch.
Why the Warning Matters for Nigeria
Sextortion and cybercrime pose challenges that extend beyond individual victims. Online blackmail can cause financial loss, emotional distress, reputational harm and disruption to education or employment.
Cybercrime can also undermine trust in digital services, which are increasingly important to Nigeria’s commercial and social life.
When individuals allow their accounts to be used for fraud, they may expose themselves to legal consequences while helping criminal networks move money or conceal their activities.
Preventing such crimes requires cooperation between law-enforcement agencies, financial institutions, schools, families, online platforms and the public.
Authorities need effective ways to investigate complaints, preserve digital evidence and identify offenders. Technology companies must also respond appropriately to reports of threats and non-consensual distribution of intimate material.
At the same time, public education should avoid suggesting that victims are responsible for the actions of perpetrators. Awareness campaigns are most useful when they explain how people can reduce risks while making clear that coercion, blackmail and non-consensual sharing are unacceptable.
The EFCC’s warning is therefore part of a broader challenge: protecting young people in digital spaces while ensuring that technology remains a source of learning, creativity and legitimate economic opportunity.
What Happens Next?
The EFCC’s appeal places responsibility on young people to avoid cybercrime and report wrongdoing, while the launch of the AGG Camp Amani School Club offers a platform for continued leadership and life-skills development.
The longer-term impact will depend on whether these messages are supported by practical digital-safety education, accessible reporting channels and opportunities for young women to develop legitimate sources of income.
Parents and educators can help by creating environments where young people feel safe discussing online threats without fear of humiliation or automatic blame. Financial institutions and digital platforms can contribute by providing clear reporting procedures and responding promptly to suspected fraud and abuse.
Young people should also be encouraged to verify online job offers, protect account credentials and refuse requests to receive or transfer unexplained funds on behalf of strangers.
For anyone already facing sextortion, the priority should be safety, evidence preservation and appropriate support rather than attempting to manage threats alone.
The EFCC’s message is clear: young Nigerians should reject cybercrime and pursue legitimate opportunities. But preventing sextortion also requires a system that supports victims, investigates threats and holds perpetrators accountable.
Protecting girls online is not only a question of personal integrity. It is also a matter of digital safety, access to justice and the responsibility of institutions to make online spaces safer for everyone.
Weng Global – stories beyond borders
Sources
- Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) — background information on its youth-focused anti-cybercrime and integrity-awareness programmes.
- Chronicle.ng — report published on October 13, 2026, on Olukoyede’s warning against sextortion and cybercrime.
- ThisAge — report on the EFCC chairman’s remarks at the African Girl Guild event in Abuja.
- National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) — sextortion advisory reported by Nairametrics on October 3, 2026.
- Nairametrics — report on online sextortion threats and the risks associated with AI-generated explicit images.
