The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has raised concern over the growing rate of cybercrime among students, revealing that about 60 per cent of university students in Nigeria are linked to internet fraud and related offences.
Olukoyede made the disclosure on Tuesday while speaking at the opening of the 8th biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, held in Kano.
The conference, themed “Unlocking the potentials of artificial intelligence: University governance, internationalisation and rankings,” focused on the role of technology in strengthening university administration and academic standards...READ FULL STORY; FROM THE SOURCE.
According to the EFCC chairman, findings from the commission’s operations over the past year showed that six out of every 10 university students were involved in cybercrime, describing the trend as deeply troubling.
“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.
He blamed the development on weak institutional oversight and poor accountability within the university system, noting that many suspects arrested in recent cybercrime raids were students.
Olukoyede also alleged that some of the students involved in internet fraud had placed lecturers on their payroll, a practice he said was eroding academic integrity and exposing deeper corruption within tertiary institutions.
He referenced the arrest of 792 suspected cyber fraudsters in Lagos in December 2024, saying a significant number of those apprehended were students, further highlighting the scale of cybercrime networks operating on campuses.
The EFCC boss also expressed concern over the rise of “Yahoo Plus,” where internet fraud is allegedly combined with fetish practices, warning that the trend posed serious moral and security risks.
He urged university authorities to strengthen internal controls and improve collaboration with law enforcement agencies to tackle the menace.
“A university that lacks financial accountability cannot credibly train future professionals. The integrity of our universities is a matter of national security,” he said.
Olukoyede further advocated the use of artificial intelligence in fraud detection, payroll management, procurement monitoring and academic integrity, adding that the EFCC had already begun deploying AI tools in digital forensics and financial investigations.
