EFCC Chairman recounts shocking encounter with 17-year-old yahoo boy demonstrating IT skills

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, shared a surprising story about a 17-year-old 200 level student who managed to hack into his personal computer and bank account while being questioned in his office in Lagos.

Olukoyede revealed this during a discussion with editors at the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

He recalled inviting the young boy, who then proceeded to bypass the security measures on his locked computer.

In a demonstration, the boy bragged about how he could transfer up to N10 million from any account in a single transaction.

The 17-year-old boy, when he was done, said, “Look, oga, I can make 10 million now. I will demonstrate it to you. I will move money from your account to mine.

“I said no, don’t do that in my office and 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.

When questioned about his involvement in cybercrime, the boy explained that his parents, who are both farmers, faced security challenges that prevented them from working on their farm.

He said, “I brought into my Lagos office a seventeen-year-old boy who is studying History and Anthropology. He is in the 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 of my account number to me at the bank. I didn’t tell him anything.”

He emphasized the need for the government to utilize the skills of these young individuals and suggested that the EFCC could consider lighter sentences for these youths to help change their mindset.

“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.”

“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 options of fines and all of that conviction, so we bring them in, lecture them and talk to them.”