By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has expressed serious concern over the growing involvement of Nigerian university students in cybercrime. He stated that nearly six out of every 10 undergraduates are linked to such activities.
Olukoyede made this known during the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, which took place in Kano. The event focused on the theme, “Unlocking the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence: University Governance, Internationalization and Rankings”.
He described the situation as “a sad development,” and explained that findings from the commission’s investigations and field operations point to widespread participation of students in internet fraud and similar offences.
“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.
The EFCC chairman revealed that many suspects arrested during recent operations were students. He added that some of them had gone as far as undermining academic standards by allegedly placing lecturers on their payroll.
He linked the development to deeper structural issues, including weak supervision and lapses within university administration.
Olukoyede also referred to a major crackdown in Lagos where 792 individuals connected to an international cybercrime network were apprehended. He noted that a considerable number of those arrested were students. According to him, the operation relied on artificial intelligence tools, which helped expose the scale and complexity of the criminal network.
He further warned about the rise of “Yahoo Plus,” a trend where internet fraud is combined with fetish practices.
The EFCC boss urged university authorities and governing councils to act quickly to address the problem. He advised them to strengthen internal systems and work closely with law enforcement agencies.
Olukoyede also called on pro-chancellors to adopt artificial intelligence-driven governance structures. He said such systems would improve transparency, detect fraud and promote financial accountability.
He pointed out that many tertiary institutions still depend on manual processes. He said this makes them open to abuses such as ghost workers, inflated contracts and mismanagement of funds.
“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 recommended the use of artificial intelligence in areas such as fraud detection, payroll administration, procurement tracking and academic monitoring. He explained that these tools can identify suspicious transactions, flag unusual salary payments and strengthen auditing systems.
Olukoyede also noted that the EFCC has applied artificial intelligence in its own operations, including digital forensics and financial tracking.
He, however, emphasised that technology should support human supervision and must comply with existing laws, including those on data protection and procurement.
The EFCC chairman stressed the need for training in cybersecurity, machine learning and digital governance within universities. He also called for investment in digital infrastructure such as broadband and cloud systems to support the effective use of artificial intelligence.
He encouraged stronger cooperation between universities, regulatory authorities and anti-corruption agencies to tackle emerging threats.
