The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has rejected the claim made by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, that six out of ten university students in Nigeria are involved in cybercrime, also known as “yahoo yahoo”.
A statement issued by NANS’ Senate President, Usman Adamu Nagwaza, on Tuesday, April 28, described the claim as misleading and damaging to the image of Nigerian students both within and outside the country.
NANS refered to the allegation as a “fallacious and unfortunate assertion” and warned that such generalisations risk painting students in a negative light.
The student body said that such comments could erode trust in the education system and unfairly stigmatise young people, lamenting that the anti-graft agency appears to be placing more focus on cyber-related offences while allegedly giving less attention to corruption cases involving political figures.
The association insisted that Nigerian students are largely law-abiding and focusing on their academic and personal growth.
“Nigerian students are not defined by criminality. We are individuals striving to acquire knowledge, build capacity, and contribute meaningfully to national development,” the statement by NANS partly read.
NANS called on the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede to retract the statement, saying it is necessary in the interest of fairness and national integrity.
It warned that such remarks could harm the reputation of Nigerian students and weaken public confidence in higher education, while reiterating its support for the fight against financial crimes.
The student body stressed the need for accuracy, balance, and responsibility in public communication by government agencies.