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The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has narrated how suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo Boys, allegedly stole over N7.2 million from a serving judge’s bank account in the middle of the night.

Olukoyede said the money represented six years of savings the judge had kept aside to fund her child’s education.

According to Vanguard on Friday, the anti-graft agency boss said this at the public presentation of two books written by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye.

The EFCC chairman said the judge contacted him around 1 a.m. after receiving multiple debit alerts.

He said, “She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school. She said it was alerts that woke her up. She received debits at that time of the day. Before she knew it, she had been scammed of about N7.2 million.”

Olukoyede disclosed that the judge immediately appealed to the commission to intervene and recover the stolen funds.

He added that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC had previously faced legal restrictions in investigating certain financial crimes.

“Incidentally, it was the state where they got an order against the EFCC from investigating certain crimes. She said, ‘My lord, I have an order, an injunction not to investigate financial crimes in that state.’

“She said, ‘No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!’” he recounted.

According to him, the commission successfully recovered the entire sum before the end of the same 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.

Olukoyede stressed that tackling cybercrime requires collective action involving security agencies, the judiciary and ordinary Nigerians.

“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 said.

The EFCC chairman also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations, calling for legal reforms to address emerging technological challenges.

“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-graft agencies to intensify efforts to recover public funds allegedly looted and hidden abroad.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the permanent forfeiture of a luxury apartment linked to a former Minister of Power, while placing four additional properties under interim forfeiture as part of efforts to recover assets allegedly acquired with proceeds of corruption.

Justice James Omotosho granted the application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ruling that the Walijam Apartments located on Lobito Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, were acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities established during the former minister’s criminal trial.

The court also ordered the interim forfeiture of four other properties pending the determination of ownership. The affected assets include Bloom Luxury Suites Nigeria Limited in Kaduna State, two mansions on Misratah Street in Wuse 2, Abuja, and A.U.A Plaza on Kade Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Justice Omotosho held that although the EFCC had not yet conclusively established ownership or beneficial interest in the four properties, the commission had presented sufficient evidence to justify their temporary forfeiture.

He directed the EFCC to publish the interim forfeiture order in a national newspaper within seven days to allow any individual or organisation with an interest in the properties to challenge the order before it becomes final.

The judge also dismissed an objection by the former minister’s legal team, which argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the forfeiture application after delivering judgment in the criminal case.

According to the court, Section 321 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act empowers it to make restitution and forfeiture orders even after a conviction has been secured.

During the proceedings, the EFCC told the court that the former minister diverted about ₦22 billion from the ₦33.8 billion involved in the case and that less than ₦2 billion had been recovered despite previous forfeiture orders.

The anti-graft agency argued that the additional assets were necessary to recover part of the outstanding proceeds of the alleged crime.

The latest ruling follows the court’s judgment of May 7, which convicted the former minister on 12 counts of money laundering involving funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Projects.

Justice Omotosho sentenced the former minister to a cumulative 75 years’ imprisonment after finding that he diverted at least ₦22 billion through proxy companies and associates. The court also ordered him to refund the outstanding balance of the stolen funds after deducting recovered assets and directed security agencies, including INTERPOL, to arrest him wherever he is found.

The judge described the diversion of funds meant for critical electricity projects as a serious breach of public trust, saying the offences deprived Nigerians of much-needed improvements in power supply.

Following weeks of surveillance, the EFCC arrested the former minister after his conviction and transferred him to a correctional facility to begin serving his sentence.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said the commission remained committed to ensuring the former minister serves his prison term. He is also facing a separate criminal trial over an alleged ₦31 billion fraud.

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The South African government has said it will not compensate Nigerian nationals who abandoned properties during recent anti-immigration protests, insisting that losses arising from individuals leaving the country are not the responsibility of the state.

Speaking on the issue, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, stated that Nigerians who legally own property in the country remain free to dispose of their assets through established legal processes.

However, she stressed that the government would not compensate anyone for financial losses resulting from their decision to leave South Africa.

She further clarified that informal settlements or properties occupied without legal ownership do not qualify for any form of compensation under South African law.

The statement comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and South Africa following reports that some Nigerians fled the country after anti-immigration protests and left behind homes, businesses, and other investments.

The Nigerian government has been seeking protection for its citizens and their investments in South Africa following repeated incidents of xenophobic violence over the years.

Nigerian authorities have consistently urged South Africa to ensure the safety of Nigerians living and doing business there, investigate attacks on foreign nationals, prosecute those responsible, and provide appropriate compensation where citizens suffered verified losses due to violence or destruction of property.

In the latest discussions, Nigeria is reportedly pursuing compensation for assets allegedly abandoned by some of its citizens who left South Africa during recent anti-immigration unrest, arguing that affected individuals should receive redress where their losses resulted from attacks or insecurity.

South Africa, however, maintains that compensation cannot be granted simply because individuals chose to leave the country.

According to Minister Ntshavheni, owners of legally acquired property still retain their ownership rights and may sell or transfer such assets through normal legal channels.

The government argues that there is no legal basis for compensating people for losses associated with relocation.

The South African government also drew a distinction between legally owned assets and properties occupied informally or without legal title, stating that only legally recognized ownership carries enforceable property rights.

Relations between Nigeria and South Africa have periodically been strained by outbreaks of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians.

Since the late 2000s, several waves of attacks on migrants have resulted in deaths, injuries, looting of businesses, and destruction of property, prompting diplomatic protests from Nigeria and other African countries.

Successive Nigerian administrations have called on South Africa to strengthen the protection of foreign nationals, while South African authorities have condemned xenophobic attacks and pledged to uphold the rule of law.

Both countries have continued to engage through diplomatic channels to address the safety of migrants and bilateral concerns, even as disagreements remain over compensation and responsibility for losses suffered during periods of unrest.