THE Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has narrated how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys, allegedly stole more than N7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in the middle of the night, describing the incident as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by cybercrime.
News Point Nigeria reports that Olukoyede disclosed that the money represented six years of savings the judge had painstakingly set aside to fund her child’s education. He spoke on Friday at the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, according to Vanguard.
The EFCC chairman said the judge contacted him at about 1 a.m. after receiving multiple debit alerts from her bank account.
“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school. She said it was alerts that woke her up. She received debits at that time of the day. Before she knew it, she had been scammed of about N7.2 million,” Olukoyede said.
He explained that the judge immediately appealed to the commission to intervene and recover the stolen funds.
Olukoyede further disclosed that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC had previously encountered legal restrictions preventing it from investigating certain financial crimes.
“Incidentally, it was the state where they got an order against the EFCC from investigating certain crimes. She said, ‘My lord, I have an order, an injunction not to investigate financial crimes in that state.’
“She said, ‘No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!’” he recounted.
According to the EFCC chairman, the commission swiftly launched an investigation and successfully recovered the entire N7.2 million before the end of the same day.
“Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her. I am very sure that if an application comes before her to stop the EFCC from carrying out its mandate, she will dismiss it because she has become a victim.
“So, it is important for us to understand the depth of this problem,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that effectively tackling cybercrime requires collective efforts from law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and ordinary Nigerians.
“Not until we, as Nigerians, come together and agree to face this challenge, law enforcement agencies playing their role, citizens doing their part, and the judiciary too doing its part, it is only then that we will be able to put this problem behind us. We can do it. Nigeria can do it, and we will do it and succeed,” he said.
The EFCC chairman also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in criminal investigations, noting that emerging technologies are creating fresh legal challenges that require urgent attention.
“Now we have already started deploying the tools of AI in the investigation of crime. But what I am cracking my brain about is how to generate evidence and make it admissible?
“This is because now we talk of a robot. Is a robot a human being? Being an electronic device doing the work of a human being, robots can now think for you. Robots can do anything human beings can do.
“So we are looking at that area. I wish our legislators and professors of law will take time and come together to look at this area and come up with laws that will help us in the area of AI,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to recover public funds allegedly looted and stashed abroad.