EFCC Boss Reveals How Yahoo Boys Stole N7.2m from Serving Judge Overnight
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys, stole more than N7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in a midnight cyberattack.
Olukoyede shared the incident during the public presentation of two books written by Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, describing it as a clear example of the growing threat posed by cybercrime in Nigeria.
Judge lost six years of savings overnight
According to the EFCC chairman, the judge, who serves in one of the South-South states, was awakened around 1 a.m. by multiple debit alerts showing that fraudsters had emptied her account.
He said the stolen N7.2 million represented six years of savings the judge had set aside to fund her child’s education.
Olukoyede disclosed that the judge immediately contacted him after discovering the withdrawals.
EFCC recovered the stolen money
The EFCC chairman said the commission quickly launched an investigation and successfully recovered the entire amount before 6 p.m. on the same day.
He added that the incident happened in a state where a court order had previously restricted the EFCC from investigating certain financial crimes.
According to Olukoyede, the judge later admitted that becoming a victim of cybercrime changed her perspective on the agency’s work.
“He added that if an application comes before that judge to stop the EFCC from carrying out its mandate, she will refuse it because she has become a victim,” he said.
Cybercrime remains a major concern
Olukoyede used the incident to stress the increasing sophistication of internet fraudsters and the need to strengthen efforts to combat cybercrime across the country.
He noted that cybercriminals continue to target Nigerians from all walks of life, including public officials and members of the judiciary.
The EFCC has not disclosed the identity of the judge, the specific South-South state involved or whether any suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
Besides, Olukayode drew attention to the emergence of AI, stressing that more work needs to be done in that area. “Now we have already started deploying the tools of AI in the investigation of crime. But what I am cracking my brain about is how do I generate evidence and make it admissible?
“It is a bit difficult from what Section 84 of the Evidence Act provided for. This is because now we talk of a robot. Is a robot a human being? Being an electronic device doing the work of a human being, robots can now think for you. Robots can do anything human beings can do.
“So we are looking at that area. I wish our legislators and professors of law will take time and come together to look at this area and come up with laws that will help us in the area of AI,” the EFCC Chairman pleaded.
Meanwhile, in his keynote address at the event, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, tasked the EFCC and other related agencies to work harder to ensure the repatriation of public funds that were looted and stashed abroad.
“We have billions abroad. This generation would have failed if we do not bring back that money. That is what we must do now,” Agabi, SAN, insisted.
He extolled Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s virtues, describing him as a man who served and left the bench without blemish.
While a former Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, demanded stricter enforcement of provisions of the cybercrime law, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Tosin Ajayi, who was also a guest at the book launch, argued that conviction of offenders would serve as a deterrent for crimes.
In attendance at the unveiling of the books — Electronic Evidence (Second Edition, with the Evidence Act, 2011) and A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence (Volume II, 2020–2025) — were legal eggheads, including serving and retired judicial officers from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and other rungs of courts in the country.
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… pic.twitter.com/R0hEfx6StF
— Nigerian Affairs Journal (@NigAffairs) July 4, 2026
