COVID-19 HAS BECOME A MONEY-MAKING VENTURE IN NIGERIA, BY ZIK GBEMRE

The subject were my thoughts, when I saw news reports online that the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has traced a €500,000 Covid-19 fraud to Nigeria.

I just can’t help but wonder who did this to us? Why must Nigerians be always associated with such unappealing news at the global scene? Why have some Nigerians become so mindless and heartless that they have turned a pandemic situation into an opportunity to make money at the expense of people’s lives? It’s just sad.

According to a statement on Interpol’s website titled, ‘Unmasked: International Covid-19 fraud exposed’, the scheme was coordinated using compromised emails, advance-payment fraud, and money laundering.

The crux of the matter is, must some Nigerians, including those in the Executive Government across States and Federal levels, use what brings misery, pain and loss of lives to others, as an avenue to make money? How do they sleep at night, or enjoy such ill-gotten riches? These, and other instances, are some of the reasons why the majority of Nigerians still see the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic situation as a lie, and an avenue encouraged by those in Government to make money. We saw this with the palliatives, medical supplies, and donations from foreign bodies to Nigeria in the fight against Covid-19. But all I can say is that, those behind such evil should remember that, whatever a man sows, that he shall surely reap one way or the other.

Zik Gbemre, is a Public Affairs analyst and rights activist