How Suspected Yahoo Boys Stole Judge’s ₦7.6m After Court Restrained EFCC Operations

A serving Nigerian judge watched helplessly as over ₦7.2 million, painstakingly saved for six years to fund a child’s education, disappeared from her bank account within hours. The shocking cybercrime incident, revealed by EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, underscores the growing sophistication of internet fraudsters and the urgent need for stronger laws to combat financial crimes.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has disclosed how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, emptied more than ₦7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge in a midnight cyberattack. The stolen money, painstakingly saved over six years to fund the judge’s child’s education, was, however, fully recovered within hours following the EFCC’s swift intervention.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede has disclosed that suspected Yahoo boys stole over ₦7.2 million from a serving judge’s bank account in the middle of the night. According to him, the money, saved over six years for the judge’s child’s education, was fully recovered by the EFCC within hours after the victim alerted the commission.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how suspected internet fraudsters, commonly known as Yahoo boys, stole more than ₦7.2 million from the bank account of a serving judge during a midnight cyberattack.

Olukoyede made the disclosure while speaking at the public presentation of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.

According to the EFCC chairman, the incident occurred at about 1 a.m., when the judge began receiving multiple debit alerts from her bank account. Alarmed by the unauthorised transactions, she immediately contacted him for assistance.

Recounting the incident, Olukoyede said the judge explained that the money represented six years of savings meant to sponsor her child’s education.

“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school,” he said.

He disclosed that by the time the judge reached out, more than ₦7.2 million had already been withdrawn from the account.

Olukoyede further revealed that the incident happened in a state where a court order had temporarily restrained the EFCC from carrying out certain investigative activities relating to financial crimes.

According to him, when he reminded the judge about the existing court order, she insisted that urgent action was necessary.

“No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!” the judge reportedly pleaded.

The EFCC chairman said the commission responded swiftly, tracking the stolen funds and successfully recovering the entire amount before the close of business on the same day.

“Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her,” Olukoyede stated.

He said the incident demonstrates that cybercrime affects everyone, regardless of social status or profession, stressing that many people only appreciate the seriousness of financial crimes after becoming victims.

“When you become a direct victim, that is when you’ll know that something has to be done,” he said.

Olukoyede therefore called for stronger collaboration among law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, citizens and the judiciary to combat the growing threat of cybercrime across Nigeria.

He also urged the National Assembly and legal scholars to review existing legislation to enable the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in criminal investigations and prosecution.

According to him, Nigeria’s current legal framework presents significant challenges to the admissibility of AI-generated evidence in court.

“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, Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts toward recovering stolen public funds hidden in foreign countries.

He stressed that repatriating looted assets remains a critical step in strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive and improving public confidence in governance.