>
By Emmanuel Adeleke
The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has narrated how a 17-year-old successfully hacked into his personal computer and bank account while being interrogated at his office in Lagos.
Olukoyede disclosed this in a recent chat with editors at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
He recalled inviting the 17-year-old for questioning in his office, only to witness the young hacker effortlessly bypass the security measures of his locked computer right before his eyes.
“I brought into my Lagos office a 17-year-old boy who is studying History and Anthropology. He is in 200 Level, he is not doing anything science-related. The guy sat in my office in Lagos and demonstrated some things to me on my laptop.
“He asked for my number, I gave him my number and through my number, he got my BVN. He then mentioned the name on my account number to me at the bank. I didn’t tell him anything,” he said.
Olukoyede noted that the boy confidently told him he could transfer up to N10 million from any account in a single transaction.
“Look, oga, I can make N10 million now. I will demonstrate it to you. I will move money from your account to mine,” he quoted the boy to have said.
“I said no, don’t do that in my office because he was ready to do that. When he opened my laptop, I didn’t give him the key to my laptop and he had access,” the EFCC boss said.
According to Olukoyede, when questioned about his involvement in cybercrime, he said the boy explained that his parents, who are both farmers, were unable to work on their farm due to security concerns.
“He has two younger ones. One is in JS2 and the other is in SS2. He is the one feeding his parents and responsible for the payment of tuition for his younger ones.
“I saw a Bill Gates in that guy,” he stated.
Olukoyede said he assured the teenager that he would take responsibility for his studies if he was able to stop the criminal act.
“I told my family, we are going to do that.
“I spoke to one of my friends who is also ready to help take up the schooling of the SS 2 guy. So, I’m still looking for someone who will take up the one for the JS 2 sibling,” he said.
This is not the first time the EFCC chairman has revealed the anti-graft agency’s plan to rehabilitate convicted internet fraudsters with reduced sentences.
Addressing a delegation of the National Association of University Students in March 2024, he said: “When you think deeply, that tag ‘ex-convict’ is not a good thing. You can never tell where you will find yourself tomorrow, and they will want to profile you and discover that you are an ex-convict.
“So, it is even in the interest of the youth that the EFCC is doing what it is doing to prevent them from indulging in the heinous act of cybercrime.”
The EFCC chairman said the country must take all necessary measures to discourage these young individuals, adding that their actions could lead to imprisonment or even fatal consequences.
“The problem is, I see crime in that, and I also see opportunities in it. So, if you leave these guys, we don’t make them know that what they are doing is wrong. If you leave them, they will continue to see it as a way of life to make money,” he added.
Olukoyede explained that due to their young ages, the EFCC would administer light sentences to punish youths for cybercrime offences, while also focusing on changing their orientation.
“We plead for light sentences so that we can reorientate them and that’s part of what we’re doing. What joy will I derive from sending a 17-year-old boy to jail? You have destroyed his future, you have destroyed his career.
“Sometimes, they give them option of fine, so we bring them in, lecture them and talk to them,” he said.