The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed serious concern over widespread financial misconduct in Nigerian universities, with several top administrators currently under criminal investigation. The anti-corruption agency also lamented that approximately six out of every ten students in Nigerian universities are involved in cybercrime.
Specifically, the commission disclosed that certain Vice Chancellors from both public and private universities are being investigated for alleged inflation of contracts, diversion of students' registration fees, and other related financial improprieties.
EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede revealed this yesterday at the opening of the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities of Nigeria in Kano. Olukoyede asserted that university authorities entrusted with managing multi-billion-naira budgets from tuition fees and other internally generated revenues are not immune to accountability issues. He stressed that the pervasive cases in tertiary institutions represent not only a loss of public funds but also a betrayal of trust placed in the university system by Nigerian parents, students, taxpayers, and governments.
“The EFCC has investigated cases involving inflated contracts, ghost workers, and diverted student fees in tertiary institutions across the country. As a matter of fact, just last week, I had a call to file a charge against a vice chancellor who just left the system,” Olukoyede emphasized.
At the conference with the theme ‘Unlocking the Potentials of Artificial Intelligence: University Governance, Internationalisation and Rankings’, the anti-graft czar described the cybercrime trend as “a sad development”. He 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 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 allegedly compromised the integrity of the academic system by placing lecturers on their payroll. According to him, the situation reflects deeper systemic challenges, including weak oversight and vulnerabilities within university administration.
Olukoyede 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.
