By Our Reporter
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede, has raised concern over rising cybercrime (Yahoo-Yahoo) involvement among Nigerian university students, including “Yahoo Plus.”
Speaking at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Kano, he said the trend is based on EFCC investigations and field operations.
“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.
Olukoyede noted that many suspects arrested in recent EFCC operations were undergraduates, with some allegedly extending criminal activities into academic environments, including influencing lecturers.
He referenced a major operation in Lagos where hundreds of cybercrime suspects were arrested, a significant number of whom were students, noting the growing sophistication of such networks.
He also expressed concern over “Yahoo Plus,” where internet fraud is reportedly combined with fetish practices.
According to him, weak institutional oversight in universities worsens the problem, with issues such as ghost workers, payroll manipulation, and procurement fraud still prevalent due to manual systems.
“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 called on universities to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) systems to strengthen governance, improve transparency, and enhance fraud detection in payroll, procurement, and auditing processes.
He added that AI is already supporting EFCC operations in digital forensics and financial tracking, but stressed it must work alongside human oversight within legal frameworks.
He further urged stronger cybersecurity training, improved digital infrastructure, and closer collaboration between universities and anti-corruption agencies to address the growing threat.
