The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, stole more than ₦7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in a midnight cyberattack before the money was recovered within hours.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, revealed that the stolen money represented six years of savings the judge had painstakingly set aside to fund her child’s education.
According to him, the judge was awakened in the early hours of the morning by multiple debit alerts and immediately discovered that the funds had been withdrawn from her account.
The distressed judge reportedly contacted the EFCC leadership around 1:00 a.m., seeking urgent intervention. Acting swiftly, the anti-graft agency launched an investigation, traced the movement of the funds and successfully recovered the entire ₦7.2 million before the close of business on the same day.
Olukoyede noted that the incident highlights the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals and the growing threat posed by internet fraud in the country.
He stressed that anyone can become a victim of cybercrime regardless of status or profession, underscoring the need for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, the judiciary and the public.
The EFCC boss also called for urgent legal and technological reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime, including the adoption of modern investigative tools and laws that will enhance the admissibility of digital and artificial intelligence-generated evidence in court.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to protecting Nigerians from financial crimes and urged members of the public to remain vigilant by safeguarding their banking information and promptly reporting any suspicious transactions to the appropriate authorities.
