The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has raised concerns over what he described as the alarming scale of cybercrime among Nigerian university students, revealing that six out of every 10 undergraduates are allegedly involved in internet fraud.
Olukoyede disclosed this at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, held in Kano, where stakeholders examined the theme, “Unlocking the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence: University Governance, Internationalization and Rankings.”
Describing the trend as disturbing, the EFCC boss said findings from the commission’s investigations and field operations over the past year point to widespread involvement of students in cybercrime, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo.”
“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 disclosed that many suspects arrested in recent operations were undergraduates, with some allegedly compromising academic integrity by placing lecturers on their payroll.
According to him, the development reflects deeper systemic challenges, including weak institutional oversight and administrative vulnerabilities within the university system.
Olukoyede cited a major operation in Lagos that led to the arrest of 792 suspects linked to a transnational cybercrime syndicate, noting that a significant number of those apprehended were students. He added that the operation, aided by artificial intelligence tools, exposed the scale and sophistication of cybercrime networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
The EFCC chairman also expressed concern over the emergence of “Yahoo Plus,” a trend in which internet fraud is combined with fetish practices, further complicating law enforcement efforts.
He urged university authorities and governing councils to take urgent steps to address the menace by strengthening internal controls and collaborating more closely with anti-corruption agencies.
Olukoyede advocated the adoption of artificial intelligence-driven governance systems to enhance transparency, detect fraud and improve accountability in tertiary institutions, noting that many universities still rely on manual processes prone to abuse.
“A university that lacks financial accountability cannot credibly train future professionals. The integrity of our universities is a matter of national security,” he said.
He explained that AI tools could be deployed in areas such as payroll management, procurement monitoring, auditing and academic integrity, enabling real-time detection of irregularities and suspicious transactions.
While highlighting the EFCC’s own use of technology in digital forensics and financial tracking, Olukoyede cautioned that artificial intelligence should complement—not replace—human oversight, and must be deployed in compliance with existing legal frameworks, including data protection and procurement regulations.
He called for increased investment in digital infrastructure, including broadband and cloud systems, as well as capacity building in cybersecurity, machine learning and digital governance.
The EFCC chairman further emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between universities, regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies to curb cybercrime and safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system.
