Six Out of Ten Students Are Involved in Cybercrime, EFCC Boss Sounds Alarm
- EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede raised concern that about six out of every 10 Nigerian university students are involved in cybercrime
- The anti-graft agency boss described the trend as a serious threat to national development
- He disclosed that many suspects arrested in cybercrime operations were undergraduates, with some allegedly interfering in academic processes
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has raised alarm over the growing involvement of university students in cybercrime and warned that the trend poses a serious risk to the country’s future.
He said recent findings suggest that a significant proportion of undergraduates are engaged in internet fraud.
Source: Facebook
According to Daily Trust, Olukoyede spoke at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Kano. He described the situation as troubling and called for urgent intervention from stakeholders within the education sector.
“My research in the last one year has shown that about six out of 10 students in our universities are into cybercrime. It is a very disturbing situation,” he said.
How bad is cybercrime among university students
The EFCC boss said many suspects arrested in cybercrime operations are students. He added that some cases involve attempts to compromise academic processes, Punch reported.
Reports from investigations also point to systemic weaknesses within universities, including lapses in oversight and governance.
He cited a recent operation in Lagos where hundreds of suspects linked to an international fraud network were arrested.
According to him, many of those apprehended were undergraduates, which reflects the scale of the problem.
What EFCC boss recommended to tackle cybercrime
Olukoyede warned about the emergence of more dangerous trends such as “Yahoo Plus,” which combines internet fraud with ritual practices.
Source: Twitter
He urged universities to strengthen internal controls and improve collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
“A university that lacks financial accountability cannot credibly train future professionals. The integrity of our universities is a matter of national security,” he said.
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He also recommended the use of technology to improve transparency. Tools such as artificial intelligence can help detect fraud, monitor transactions and protect academic systems.
He said such measures should support human supervision rather than replace it, while calling for stronger investment in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity capacity.
EFCC declares former Buhari's minister wanted
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Timipre Sylva, a former minister of State, Petroleum Resources, and former governor of Bayelsa state, wanted.
The EFCC said Sylva was wanted over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
According to the EFCC, the money is "part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a Refinery".
Malami asks EFCC chairman to recuse himself
Legit.ng earlier reported that former President Muhammadu Buhari's minister of justice and AGF, Abubakar Malami, has called on the current chairman of the EFCC to recuse himself from his investigation.
Malami gave the reason for demanding that the EFCC chairman step aside in his matter and called on the AGF and Minister of Justice to take action.
The former minister also claimed that he was being witch-hunted by the EFCC over his defection from the ruling APC to the ADC.
Source: Legit.ng
