Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has raised concerns over the growing involvement of Nigerian university students in cybercrime, claiming that six out of every 10 undergraduates are engaged in internet fraud and related offences.
Olukoyede made the disclosure at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria held in Kano.
The conference, themed Unlocking the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence: University Governance, Internationalization and Rankings, brought together education stakeholders to discuss governance reforms and innovation in tertiary institutions.
Describing the development as disturbing, Olukoyede said findings from the Commission’s investigations and field operations over the past year indicated widespread participation of students in cybercrime activities.
“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 added that many suspects arrested during recent cybercrime operations were university students, alleging that some had become financially influential enough to compromise academic systems by placing lecturers on their payroll.
According to him, the trend reflects broader systemic issues, including weak oversight and governance vulnerabilities within tertiary institutions.
The EFCC chairman cited a recent operation in Lagos where 792 suspects linked to an international cybercrime syndicate were arrested, noting that a significant number of those apprehended were students.
He said the operation, supported by artificial intelligence tools, exposed the sophistication and growing scale of cybercrime networks operating within and outside Nigeria.
Olukoyede also expressed concern over the rise of “Yahoo Plus,” a form of cyber fraud allegedly combined with ritualistic practices.
He urged university administrators and governing councils to take urgent action by strengthening institutional controls and collaborating more closely with law enforcement agencies.
He further advocated the adoption of artificial intelligence-driven governance systems to improve transparency, fraud detection, and financial accountability in universities.
According to him, many tertiary institutions still depend heavily on manual administrative systems, making them vulnerable to fraud, including ghost workers, inflated contracts, and fund diversion.
“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 recommended deploying AI tools across payroll systems, procurement monitoring, fraud detection, and academic integrity management.
He noted that the EFCC has already integrated AI into investigations, including digital forensics and financial tracking, but stressed that technology should complement—not replace—human oversight.
He also called for stronger investment in digital infrastructure such as broadband connectivity, cloud systems, and training in cybersecurity, machine learning, and digital governance.
The anti-graft chief urged closer collaboration between universities, regulators, and anti-corruption agencies to address emerging risks in the education sector.
