The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how the commission recovered more than N7.2 million allegedly stolen by suspected internet fraudsters from the bank account of a serving judge.
Olukoyede said the money, which the judge had saved over six years to fund her child’s education, was fraudulently withdrawn overnight before the EFCC tracked and recovered the funds on the same day.
He disclosed the incident on Friday during the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.
According to the EFCC chairman, the judge contacted him at about 1 a.m. after being awakened by multiple debit alerts indicating that her account was being emptied.
“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school. She said alerts woke her up. She received debit alerts at that time of the day. Before she knew it, she had been scammed of about N7.2 million,” Olukoyede said.
He noted that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC had previously been restrained by a court order from investigating certain financial crimes. Despite this, he said the judge urged the commission to intervene immediately.
“Incidentally, it was the state where they got an order against the EFCC restraining it from investigating certain crimes. I said, ‘My Lord, I have an order, an injunction restraining me from investigating financial crimes in that state.’
“She said, ‘No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!'” he recounted.
Olukoyede said the EFCC successfully traced the stolen funds and recovered the entire amount before the close of business that 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.
“So, it is important for us to understand the depth of this problem,” he said.
The EFCC chairman described cybercrime as a growing national challenge that requires a coordinated response involving law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the public.
“Not until we, as Nigerians, come together and agree to face this challenge, law enforcement agencies playing their role, citizens doing their part, and the judiciary too doing its part, it is only then that we will be able to put this problem behind us. We can do it. Nigeria can do it, and we will do it and succeed,” he added.
Olukoyede also disclosed that the commission has begun deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tools in criminal investigations but stressed the need for legal reforms to ensure AI-generated evidence can be admitted in court.
“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 to generate evidence and make it admissible.
“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,” he said.
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.
