Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has shared a disturbing account of how internet fraudsters allegedly wiped out ₦7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge, describing it as an example of the devastating consequences of cybercrime.
Speaking at the public presentation of two books written by retired High Court judge Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Olukoyede said the judge had spent six years saving the money to send her child to study in the United Kingdom before it was stolen overnight.
According to him, the judge reached out to him in the early hours of the morning after a series of debit alerts revealed that the entire sum had been taken from her account. He said the EFCC immediately intervened and recovered the money within 24 hours.
Olukoyede stressed that such incidents show why Nigerians should not dismiss the activities of Yahoo boys, noting that many people only recognise the seriousness of internet fraud when they become direct victims.
“Sometimes last year, I had a distress call at about 1 a.m. from one of the states in the South-South from a judge. She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school in the UK.
“She received debit notes… before she knew it, she had been scammed of about ₦7.2 million.
“We rose up to the task… and the following day, we recovered the entire money for her.
“I’m very sure if an application had come before that my Lord to stop the EFCC from carrying out its mandate, she wouldn’t refuse it because she has become a victim. So it’s important for us to understand the depth of these problems.”
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede has revealed how Yahoo boys (internet fraudsters) stole N7.2m from a judge’s bank account, prompting the judge to call him at 1am over the issue.
Speaking further, Olukoyede said he told the judge that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC…
— UNCLE DEJI™️ (@DejiAdesogan) July 4, 2026
