The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has narrated how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, stole more than ₦7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in the middle of the night.
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Olukoyede disclosed this at the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.
According to the EFCC chairman, the judge called him at about 1 a.m. after receiving several debit alerts from her bank account.
He said the judge told him that the money had been saved over a period of six years for 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He disclosed that the fraudsters had already withdrawn about ₦7.2 million before the judge contacted him for urgent assistance.
Olukoyede said the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC had been restrained by a court order from investigating certain financial crimes.
According to him, when he reminded the judge of the restraint order, she insisted that the commission must intervene because she had become a direct victim.
He quoted her as saying, “No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!”
The EFCC chairman said the commission moved swiftly and recovered the entire money before the end of the day.
“Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her,” he said.
Olukoyede said the incident showed why Nigerians must take cybercrime and financial crimes seriously, noting that people often appreciate the gravity of such offences only when they become victims.
“When you become a direct victim, that is when you’ll know that something has to be done,” he said.
He called for stronger cooperation among law enforcement agencies, citizens and the judiciary in tackling cybercrime and other financial offences.
The EFCC chairman also urged lawmakers to update Nigeria’s laws to support the use of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations.
He said current legal frameworks make it difficult to admit AI-generated evidence in court, stressing the need for legal scholars and legislators to work together on reforms.
“I wish our legislators and professors of law will take time and come together to look at this area and come up with laws that will help us in the area of AI,” Olukoyede said.
Also speaking at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to recover stolen public funds kept abroad.
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Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
