Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has raised alarm over what he described as a growing alliance between internet fraudsters (Yahoo boys) and politically exposed persons, warning that the relationship is being used to launder illicit funds and undermine Nigeria’s financial system.

Speaking during a national joint security press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Issa-Onilu disclosed that the federal government has identified a “cordial relationship” between certain politicians and internet fraudsters, a situation he described as dangerous to the country’s financial integrity and security.

“People have not understood the nexus that exists between the Yahoo boys and people who are politically exposed, using the Yahoo boys for money laundering,” Issa-Onilu said. “So when [security agencies] go after Yahoo boys, it’s not just about them — they are important leads to prosecuting the people who are politically exposed.”

The NOA chief said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies are not only targeting individual cybercriminals but also tracing the networks that connect them to powerful elites. He added that such operations are key to advancing the federal government’s anti-money laundering reforms and restoring global confidence in Nigeria’s financial system.

Issa-Onilu emphasized that the fight against financial crime is just one front in a broader national security effort involving multiple agencies.

According to him, the Nigerian Police Force has conducted 326 operations, resulting in 2,109 arrests, the rescue of 175 kidnapped victims, the neutralization of 78 terrorists, and the dismantling of six arms trafficking rings.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), he said, carried out 1,572 raids, seizing 2.9 million kilograms of narcotics, including 520kg of tramadol and 7.35kg of methamphetamine.

In a significant move against illegal arms proliferation, authorities also recovered 12 AK-47 rifles, two general-purpose machine guns (GPMGs), and over 2,200 rounds of ammunition, while NAFDAC intercepted 10 containers of tramadol, further demonstrating coordinated enforcement efforts.

On migration control, Issa-Onilu highlighted that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in partnership with the United Nations and ECOWAS, is implementing identity governance initiatives aimed at curbing irregular migration and human trafficking.

He urged citizens to support the protection of national infrastructure and security assets, stressing that national security is a collective responsibility.

“Our institutions are working. Our security forces are committed. But without public cooperation, national security objectives cannot be fully achieved,” he said.