Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has expressed concern that a large proportion of Nigerian university students are involved in cybercrime.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 8th biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria held in Kano, Olukoyede revealed that recent findings suggest that about six out of every 10 students in Nigerian universities are engaged in internet fraud.
The conference, themed “Unlocking the potentials of artificial intelligence: University governance, internationalisation and rankings,” provided a platform for discussing challenges within the education sector.
Olukoyede described the situation as deeply troubling, attributing the trend to systemic issues such as weak oversight and poor accountability within universities. He noted that many individuals arrested in recent cybercrime crackdowns were students, some of whom allegedly compromised academic standards by influencing lecturers financially.
He also referenced a major operation in Lagos in December 2024, where 792 suspected cyber fraudsters were apprehended—many of them reportedly students—highlighting the scale of the problem.
Additionally, the EFCC chairman warned about the growing phenomenon known as “Yahoo Plus,” where internet fraud is allegedly combined with ritual practices.
To combat the issue, Olukoyede urged university authorities to strengthen institutional controls and collaborate more closely with law enforcement agencies. He emphasized that maintaining integrity within universities is critical to national security.
He also advocated for the adoption of artificial intelligence to improve fraud detection, payroll systems, procurement monitoring, and academic transparency. According to him, the EFCC has already begun integrating AI tools into its investigative processes, including digital forensics and financial tracking.