Nigeria’s Moral and Systemic Failure Pushed 60% of Students Into Fraud — Peter Obi Tells EFCC Boss, Ola Olukoyede
Top opposition figure, Peter Obi has said Nigeria’s moral and systemic failures are pushing a large number of young people into internet fraud and other criminal activities.
Obi’s statement is in response to a recent comment made by the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, who claimed that about 60 percent of students are now being drawn into fraudulent practices.
Olukoyede had raised alarm that about six out of every 10 students in Nigerian universities are involved in cybercrime.
He said this at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria held in Kano, themed “Unlocking the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence: University Governance, Internationalization and Rankings”.
Describing the trend as “a sad development,” the EFCC boss said findings from investigations and field operations by the commission revealed widespread involvement of undergraduates in internet fraud and related crimes.
“My research in the last one year has shown that about six out of 10 students in our universities are into cybercrime. It is a very disturbing situation,” he said.
He disclosed that many of those arrested in recent cybercrime operations were students, adding that some had even compromised the integrity of the academic system by allegedly placing lecturers on their payroll.
According to him, the situation reflects deeper systemic challenges, including weak oversight and vulnerabilities within university administration.
Olukayode also cited a major operation in Lagos where 792 suspects linked to a transnational cybercrime syndicate were arrested, noting that a significant number of them were students.
He said the operation, powered by artificial intelligence tools, exposed the scale and sophistication of cybercrime networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
The EFCC chairman further expressed concern over the growing trend of “Yahoo Plus,” where suspects combine internet fraud with fetish practices.
Reacting to the statement in a post he made on X, Peter Obi warned that Nigeria is facing a deep moral and systemic crisis following claims by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, that about six out of every 10 university students are involved in internet fraud.
In the statement released on Wednesday, Obi said the allegation, if accurate, reflects not just a crime problem but a broader failure of values, leadership, and institutional accountability in the country.
He said the development should not be dismissed, stressing that it raises urgent questions about role models, governance, and the moral direction of young Nigerians.
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“The worrisome statement by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that 6 out of every 10 Nigerian university students are involved in ‘419’ is deeply troubling and must not be taken lightly,” Obi said.
He warned that Nigeria, with an estimated 2 to 2.5 million university students, would be confronting a serious national emergency if such figures translate to reality.
“If indeed about 60% of them, roughly 1.4 million young people, are involved in fraud, then we are not just facing a crime issue; we are confronting a serious moral and systemic failure,” he said.
Obi linked the alleged trend to what he described as weakened value systems in society, arguing that young people often mirror the conduct they observe from leadership and public institutions.
