The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed how the agency recovered more than N7.2 million stolen from the bank account of a serving judge after suspected cybercriminals struck in the middle of the night.
Olukoyede disclosed this during the unveiling of two books written by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.
He recounted that the judge reached him at about 1 a.m. after her mobile phone began receiving a series of debit alerts, indicating that fraudsters were emptying her account.
According to the EFCC chairman, the judge explained that the money had been saved over six years to finance her child's education.
He said over N7.2 million had already been withdrawn before she contacted the commission for urgent intervention.
Olukoyede added that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC's operations on certain financial crime matters had been limited by an existing court order.
Despite the legal constraints, he said the judge appealed to the commission to take immediate action because of the exceptional nature of the case.
The anti-graft agency, he said, swiftly tracked the transaction trail and succeeded in recovering the entire sum before the end of the same day.
Describing the incident as a reminder of the dangers posed by cybercrime, Olukoyede said many Nigerians underestimate the threat until they personally become victims of online fraud.
He stressed the need for closer collaboration among law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and the public to strengthen the country's fight against internet-related crimes.
The EFCC chairman also urged lawmakers to modernise Nigeria's legal framework by introducing provisions that would support the deployment of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations.
He noted that existing legislation does not adequately address the admissibility of AI-generated evidence in court, a situation he said should be urgently reviewed to keep pace with technological advancements.
Speaking at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to recover public funds allegedly hidden in foreign jurisdictions.
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