Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ola Olukayode, has raised the alarm over the growing menace of internet fraudsters, revealing a shocking incident in which over N7.2 million was stolen from the bank account of a serving judge in a midnight cyberattack.
Speaking during the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, the EFCC boss narrated how the judge, who serves in one of the South-South states, called him in distress around 1 a.m. after receiving a series of debit alerts while asleep. The money, she explained, had been saved over six years to pay 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," Olukayode recounted.
He said the judge was woken by the alerts, and before she could act, approximately N7.2 million had been wiped from her account. She immediately reached out to the EFCC chairman, revealing that the incident occurred in a state where a court order had restrained the commission from investigating certain financial crimes. "She said, 'My lord, I have an order, an injunction not to investigate financial crimes in that state,'" Olukayode recalled. "But she quickly added, 'No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!'"
The EFCC chairman said the commission acted swiftly, deploying its investigative tools to track the stolen funds. "Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her," he revealed. He noted that the judge's experience underscored the urgent need for all Nigerians, including members of the judiciary, to take the fight against cybercrime seriously. "When you become a direct victim, that is when you will know that something has to be done," he said. He expressed confidence that if an application were to come before the judge to stop the EFCC from carrying out its mandate, she would dismiss it because she had personally felt the pain of financial crime.
Olukayode also used the occasion to call for a collaborative effort among law enforcement agencies, citizens, and the judiciary to strengthen the fight against financial crimes. He warned that the activities of internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys, have continued to damage Nigeria's image and undermine public confidence in the financial system. He stressed that Nigerians must unite to confront the challenge, saying, "Not until we, as Nigerians, come together and agree to face this challenge — law enforcement agencies playing their role, citizens doing their part, and the judiciary too doing its part — it is only then that we will be able to put this problem behind us."
The EFCC chairman also drew attention to the emergence of artificial intelligence in crime investigation, noting that the commission had begun deploying AI tools in its operations. However, he expressed concern over the admissibility of AI-generated evidence in court, citing limitations under Section 84 of the Evidence Act. "Now we have already started deploying the tools of AI in the investigation of crime. But what I am cracking my brain about is how do I generate evidence and make it admissible?" he asked. "It is a bit difficult from what Section 84 of the Evidence Act provided for. This is because now we talk of a robot. Is a robot a human being? Being an electronic device doing the work of a human being, robots can now think for you. Robots can do anything human beings can do."
He urged lawmakers and legal scholars to review existing laws to accommodate the use of AI in criminal investigations, stressing that Nigeria must keep pace with technological advancements to effectively combat modern financial crimes.
In his keynote address at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, tasked the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to work harder to recover stolen public funds kept abroad, while commending the commission's efforts in tackling financial crimes.
The incident involving the judge has become a powerful reminder that no one, regardless of their position, is immune to the threat of cybercrime. For the judge, the experience was a rude awakening; for the EFCC, it was a testament to the urgency of the fight against internet fraud. As Olukayode put it, "Nigeria can do it, and we will do it and succeed."
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