YAHOO BOYS STOLE JUDGE’S SIX-YEAR SAVINGS, EFCC RECOVERED N7.2M WITHIN HOURS – OLOKUYEDE
Read Time:2 Minute, 26 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys, allegedly emptied over N7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in the middle of the night.
Olukoyede disclosed that the stolen money represented six years of savings the judge had painstakingly set aside to finance her child’s education.
Speaking at the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, the EFCC chairman said the victim contacted him around 1 a.m. after receiving multiple debit alerts indicating that funds were being withdrawn from her account.
According to Olukoyede, the judge was devastated after discovering that about N7.2 million had been fraudulently transferred from her account.
“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school. She said it was alerts that woke her up. Before she knew it, she had been scammed of about N7.2 million,” he said.
The EFCC boss explained that the judge immediately appealed to the commission to intervene and recover the stolen funds.
He noted that the incident occurred in a state where the commission had previously encountered a court order restricting it from investigating certain financial crimes.
Recalling the conversation, Olukoyede said he reminded the judge of the legal restriction, but she insisted the commission should act swiftly.
“She said, ‘No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!'”
According to him, the EFCC swung into action and successfully recovered the entire amount before 6 p.m. on the same day.
“Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her. I am very sure that if an application comes before her to stop the EFCC from carrying out its mandate, she will dismiss it because she has become a victim,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that the growing menace of cybercrime requires a united response from law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and members of the public.
He urged Nigerians to support efforts to combat financial crimes, saying collective action remains the most effective way to tackle the challenge.
The EFCC chairman also highlighted the increasing role of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations, calling for urgent legal reforms to address emerging technological challenges, particularly regarding the admissibility of AI-generated evidence in court.
According to him, while the commission has begun deploying AI tools in crime investigations, there is a pressing need for lawmakers and legal experts to develop laws that will provide a clear legal framework for the use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice.
Also speaking at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to recover public funds allegedly stolen and stashed abroad.
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