“Six Out of 10 University Students Are Into Cybercrime” — EFCC Chair Raises Alarm

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, says findings from the commission suggest six out of every 10 students in Nigerian universities are involved in cybercrime.

Olukoyede made the claim at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria in Kano, where discussions focused on artificial intelligence, university governance and global competitiveness.

He described the trend as troubling, saying EFCC investigations and field operations point to widespread involvement of undergraduates in internet fraud, commonly known as Yahoo Yahoo.

According to him, many suspects arrested in recent cybercrime crackdowns were students, with some allegedly influencing lecturers and compromising academic processes.

Olukoyede linked the development to broader institutional weaknesses, including poor oversight and gaps in university administration.

He referenced a major operation in Lagos in which 792 suspects tied to a transnational cybercrime syndicate were arrested, saying a significant number were students. He added that the operation, supported by AI-driven tools, revealed the scale and sophistication of cybercrime networks operating within and outside Nigeria.

The EFCC chairman also raised concerns over the rise of “Yahoo Plus,” a form of fraud linked to ritual practices.

He called on university authorities to strengthen internal controls and work more closely with law enforcement agencies to address the problem.

Olukoyede urged universities to adopt artificial intelligence tools to improve transparency, detect fraud and strengthen financial accountability. He said many institutions still depend heavily on manual systems, exposing them to risks such as payroll fraud, inflated contracts and diversion of funds.

He proposed the use of AI in fraud detection, payroll management, procurement oversight and protecting academic integrity, saying such tools can help identify suspicious transactions and irregularities in real time.

Drawing from the EFCC’s use of digital forensics and financial tracking technologies, he said AI can improve governance but should support, not replace, human oversight, and must comply with data protection and procurement laws.

He also called for greater investment in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity training and collaboration between universities, regulators and anti-corruption agencies to respond to emerging threats.