The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has claimed that a large proportion of Nigerian university students are involved in internet fraud, estimating the figure at about 60 per cent.
Olukoyede made the statement on Tuesday during the 8th biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria held in Kano State, where discussions focused on artificial intelligence, university governance and institutional rankings.
Speaking at the event, he said recent findings from his research point to widespread involvement of undergraduates in cybercrime, commonly referred to as “Yahoo-Yahoo,” as well as other online fraudulent activities.
“My research in the last 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 noted that several of those recently arrested by the EFCC were university students, adding that some had even infiltrated academic environments and compromised lecturers.
According to him, the situation reflects deeper structural problems within the education system, including weak monitoring mechanisms and administrative gaps in universities.
He also referenced a recent operation in Lagos, where 792 individuals linked to a transnational cybercrime network were arrested. He said many of those apprehended were students, and that artificial intelligence tools played a key role in exposing the scale of the operation.
Olukoyede called on university authorities to take stronger action against cybercrime by tightening internal controls and working more closely with law enforcement agencies.
He warned that reliance on manual administrative systems continues to expose universities to fraud, including ghost workers, inflated contracts and diversion of funds.
“The integrity of universities is a matter of national security,” he said, stressing that institutions without proper financial accountability cannot effectively train future professionals.
He further urged pro-chancellors to adopt AI-driven governance systems to improve transparency, detect irregularities and strengthen financial accountability across tertiary institutions.
