A FOCUS ON ADVANCED FEE FRAUD IN NIGERIA: NATURE, PREVALENCE AND THE URGENT NEED FOR ENFORCEMENT OF RELEVANT LAWS

Advanced fee fraud has become a national and global crime which poses a serious challenge not only in Nigeria but the entire world. Its ascension to notoriety in today’s era of organized economies, information and computer technology, advanced commercial transactions and other human advancements has reputed it to be one of the most recent dangerous boogeymen of the 21st century. Understanding its nature, its dynamics, its potency and spread all over Nigeria and in other nations is imperative. The carcinogenic nature of advanced fee fraud and similar crimes affect Nigeria’s international image and its economy negatively so severely that treating an offence of this nature and magnitude with kid gloves would only incur dire consequences for the nation. These are the issues expounded in this paper. The paper also looks at relevant Nigerian legislations on advanced fee fraud, considers the necessity for government authorities to enforce such legislation decisively and concludes its discussions by proffering necessary recommendations.