Beyond Arrests: How EFCC Labelled OAU Techies As Suspected Internet Fraudsters

In a country like Nigeria, where law enforcement agency officials see young individuals with smartphones, laptops and other electronic gadgets as suspected internet fraudsters, such moves might deter the country from moving forward in terms of technological advancements. Activities like this, lead to protests and unrest in some communities and part of such protests is the infamous #EndSARS Protest that occurred in October, 2020; a Protest against Police brutality and harassment of young Nigerians.

While the harassment might have subsided from the side of the then SARS and Policemen, the EFCC seems to be the new poison in town, tormenting young individuals trying to break their way through in Tech and other booming industries.

In the early hours of Wednesday, 1st of November, 2023, Officials of the EFCC invaded some students’ hostels in Oduduwa Estate and whisked away 69 Academic Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University.

When students of the Obafemi Awolowo University stormed the EFCC office in Ibadan where the individuals were detained, 58 students out of the arrested 69 were released.

According to the PRO of the EFCC, when the students stormed the EFCC office in Ibadan for the release of their colleagues, proper intelligence investigations were carried out before the raid. He corroborated his points by saying that ‘internet fraudsters work at night’.

One would however, imagine what kind of intelligence investigations were carried out leading to the arrest of 69 students and 58 of them being released within 24hours.

OAU Tech Community

Obafemi Awolowo University has always been known to be a leading university in ICT and other Tech related activities. Most students engage in Tech activities in one way or the other; activities which on the long run, help them in building their startups and businesses even before graduation.

The Billionaire Conference: Startups Experts Share Experiences At Nigeria Young Founders’ Week

According to Africa The Big Deal, Obafemi Awolowo University tops the list of ‘Universities Behind African Visionaries – A Look at the Alma Maters of CEOs Driving African Startup Success’ in the country.

Also, according to Africa The Big Deal, Obafemi Awolowo University has the highest number of startups with CEOs who have participated in more deals since 2019.

Did you know that Obafemi Awolowo University has produced some of Nigeria's most notable tech talents?

In fact, startups with OAU alumni founders have been involved in 25% of deals done by Nigerian-educated CEOs. pic.twitter.com/oSvyVXOvD0

— Stears (@StearsInsights) April 25, 2023

While one may have a vision to found a Tech startup in school, academic activities during the day might be a barrier, as the primary assignment of a student is his/her studies. However, most students use the night to reawaken their spirits and think wider.

According to Google, mobile internet seems to be faster during the night, same way highway drives are faster during non-peak hours. Usually, during the day, there are more people using data networks, hence speed is limited. During the night, it significantly comes down, hence higher speed.

These factors attest to why individuals involved in Tech, Startups, Web development and other Tech related activities prefer to work at night, thereby countering the notion of the EFCC PRO who claimed that internet fraudsters work at night.

Profiling Young Techies as Fraudsters

Following the arrest of the 69 young individuals by the officials of the EFCC, the agency went ahead to publish the names of these individuals across its social media pages and website. However, after the release of 58 students out of the arrested 69, the agency deleted all the posts where names of these students were published.

Unfortunately, before the action, media houses and new agencies also reported and published names of these students, making it difficult for names of these individuals to be cleared from the  negligence of the officials of the EFCC as it will only take a Google search of their names to label them suspected internet fraudsters.

Victims, Groups Call For Vindication

Students and Alumni of the Obafemi Awolowo University have called for a total clearing of the names of these individuals from EFCC by putting out an official statement, declaring them as law abiding individuals.

Junaid Hafiz Adeyinka, one of the victims, who doubles as a final year student of Computer Science and Mathematics, has taken to personal page on the X App (formerly Twitter) to openly state that he is not a fraudster and has never been involved in any cyber crime.

My name is Junaid Hafiz Adeyinka, I’m a part 5 student of Computer Science and Mathematics in the department of Computer Science and Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

I am not a fraudster. I have never been into cyber crime and never will.

1

— Adeyinka Hafiz Junaid (@zeuslgndd) November 3, 2023

Also, a fresh Accounting graduate, Arekemase Ridwan Olayinka, took to his Twitter page, declaring that he is not a fraudster, requesting that the EFCC and other news platforms should clear his name

My name is Arekemase Olayinka Ridwan, I’m a fresh graduate from the department of Management and Accounting at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

I am not a fraudster. I have never been into cyber crime and never will.

1

— Arekemas Olayinka Ridwan (@arekelewa) November 8, 2023

In the same vein, Kolawole Alao, one of the victims, before the arrest, led a team and won 1st place at the University project exhibition for Digital Nigeria Day with our Design and Development of a 3-axis CNC Milling Machine.

I'm thrilled to announce that my team won 1st place at the University project exhibition for Digital Nigeria Day with our Design and Development of a 3-axis CNC Milling Machine! pic.twitter.com/IKAill9pz5

— Kolawole Alao (@akonml) October 27, 2023

EFCC Arraigns 11 Students

Consequently, 11 of the students yet to be released have been arraigned before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, at the Federal High Court, Osogbo on account of their alleged involvement in internet fraud.

According to a statement from the Head, Media & Publicity of the Commission, said the students are Perekebena Micah and Aghwaritoma Obaro, who were arraigned on 6 counts each; and Nnekwelugo Nnaemeka, Moyosore Oluwasakin, Daniel Maiye, Gbolahan Adesina, Yinka Jayeola, Olumuyiwa Adeleye, Abiola Oluwadare, Busari Ayodeji, and Okesipe Paul who were arraigned on one to six counts each.

However, during the course of the court proceedings, all suspects pleaded not guilty, denying the charges levelled against them by the commission.

Accordingly, the application for bail by the defence counsels for Ayodeji, Adesina, Oluwasakin, Adeleye, Okesipe, and Micah was granted at a sum of two million each, with the exception of Micah at three million naira. Alongside the money, each defendant must present two sureties each, one a father or mother, and the other a relative, sibling, clergy, or civil servant with the Osun State government.

The court also remanded the defendants to the Ilesha Correctional Center, Osun State, to await trial on the 29th of November, and 12th of December, 2023, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.