The Internet Never Forgets, LASG Warns Youth Engaging in Cyber Crime

Segun James

The Lagos State Government has warned youths that engage in cybercrime that whatever crime they commit now will have repercussions in the future as the internet never forgets.

This advice was given by the Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola, yesterday, at a one-day seminar on Building a Strong Cyber Safety Awareness in Schools held at the Balmoral Hall, Lagos.

Mojola explained that the internet offers boundless opportunities to learn, connect, and grow, just as he emphasized that it also comes with risks.

“Young people, in particular, are increasingly vulnerable to the dangers lurking online. Cyberbullying, phishing scams, identity theft, exposure to inappropriate content, and online predators are just a few of the challenges students encounter in cyberspace.

Sadly, many students are unaware of the risks and become victims of these threats”, he said.

“Today’s event, conducted in partnership with the Safe Schools Alliance, epitomizes the proactive approach we must adopt to ensure that our schools remain safe in both physical and digital realms by cultivating a robust foundation of cyber security awareness,” Majola added.

He, however, emphasized that the Lagos State Government remains committed to eradicating cyber-attacks hence the safety awareness seminar in schools, just as he added that they decided to begin with the children to protect them children from being infected abolition and also to allow them to decipher the right from the wrong information, and particularly not to fall into temptation of joining wrong and non-educative and unproductive websites.

Also contributing, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr. Sesan Ogundeko, said the Lagos State Government would want our children to know the need to access the Internet and the implications of knowing what is good and what is bad for them, hence the need to inculcate a seminar of this nature in their mind as being witnessed today.

Also, in his remark, Dr. Bisi Esuruoso, the Lead Resources, Safe Schools, Lagos, said seminars such as this are timely as they highlight what benefits the seminar will undoubtedly prepare schools across Lagos to effectively tackle cyber threats, thereby fostering a safer digital environment for everyone involved.

Students spoke on the lessons learned as they hope to put everything into practice, emphasizing that with the rise of false narratives and cyberbullying in social media, it is believed that this seminar by the Lagos State Safety Commission will equip students with the right tools to guide themselves against cyber bullies.