Olukoyede disclosed the incident while speaking at the launch of two books authored by retired High Court judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, using the case to highlight the growing threat posed by cybercrime in Nigeria.
According to the EFCC chairman, the serving judge contacted him at about 1 a.m. after receiving multiple debit alerts indicating that funds were being withdrawn from her bank account.
He explained that the money represented savings accumulated over six years to fund her child’s education abroad.
“She had just been scammed of the money she had been putting together for six years to send her child to school,” Olukoyede said.
He disclosed that the victim lost approximately N7.2 million before she reached out to the anti-graft agency for assistance.
Olukoyede noted that the incident occurred in a state where the EFCC had been restrained by a court order from carrying out investigations into certain financial crimes, a situation he said complicated the commission’s operations.
Despite the legal constraints, he recalled that the judge pleaded with him to intervene urgently.
According to him, the judge insisted that the matter required immediate action, saying: “No, no, no! This is an exception. You must do something immediately!”
The EFCC chairman said the commission responded promptly, launching an investigation that led to the recovery of the entire stolen sum before the end of the same day.
“Before 6 p.m., we recovered the entire money for her,” he said.
Olukoyede said the incident demonstrated that cybercrime is not a distant problem affecting only anonymous victims but a growing threat capable of impacting anyone, regardless of social status or profession.
“When you become a direct victim, that is when you’ll know that something has to be done,” he stated.
He called for stronger collaboration between law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, the judiciary and members of the public to combat the rising incidence of cybercrime across the country.
The EFCC chairman also urged the National Assembly and legal experts to review Nigeria’s legal framework to accommodate the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in criminal investigations.
According to him, current laws present significant challenges in the admissibility of AI-generated evidence during court proceedings, limiting the ability of investigators to fully utilise emerging technologies in tackling sophisticated financial crimes.
“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,” Olukoyede said.
Also speaking at the event, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN), called on anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to recover public funds allegedly stolen from Nigeria and hidden in foreign jurisdictions.
The event provided a platform for renewed calls to strengthen Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks in the fight against corruption, cybercrime and other forms of financial fraud, as stakeholders emphasised the need for greater cooperation and technological innovation in law enforcement.