The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how internet fraudsters stole more than N7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge, saying the agency recovered the funds within hours.
Olukoyede spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the public presentation of two books on electronic evidence written by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.
According to him, the judge called around 1 a.m. after receiving multiple debit alerts from her account. The money, he said, had been saved over six years to fund her child's education.
“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school,” Olukoyede said.
He said the incident happened in a state where a court order had previously restrained the EFCC from investigating certain financial crimes. However, the judge urged the commission to intervene immediately despite the legal hurdle.
Olukoyede said the EFCC tracked the funds and recovered the entire amount before 6 p.m. the same day.
He added that personal experiences with cybercrime often change people's perception of the agency's work.
“When you become a direct victim, that is when you'll know that something has to be done,” he said.
The EFCC chairman said the growing threat of cybercrime requires stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the public to tackle financial crimes effectively.
He also called for legal reforms to support the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in criminal investigations, noting that while the commission has started deploying AI tools, questions remain over the admissibility of AI-generated evidence under Nigeria's Evidence Act.
Olukoyede urged lawmakers and legal experts to review existing laws to address the emerging challenges posed by AI in criminal investigations.
He also disclosed that the EFCC secured 3,175 convictions and recovered N156 billion in proceeds of crime over the past year.
At the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), called for renewed efforts to recover looted public funds held abroad, while former Body of Benchers Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), advocated stricter enforcement of cybercrime laws.
The event featured the launch of Electronic Evidence (Second Edition) and A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence, Volume II (2020–2025) by Justice Omolaye-Ajileye. The retired judge also unveiled the Justice Omolaye-Ajileye Educational Foundation for Indigent Students to support academically gifted but financially disadvantaged students.
