LAGOS, Nigeria – Former Nigeria’s Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi released a statement on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, stating that the country faces a moral and systemic crisis following claims of widespread student internet fraud.
Okay News reports that Obi responded to allegations from Olanipekun Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who stated that six out of every 10 university students participate in internet fraud.
“The worrisome statement by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that 6 out of every 10 Nigerian university students are involved in ‘419’ is deeply troubling and must not be taken lightly,” Obi said.
He estimated that there are between 2 million and 2.5 million university students in the country. “If indeed about 60% of them, roughly 1.4 million young people, are involved in fraud, then we are not just facing a crime issue; we are confronting a serious moral and systemic failure,” he said.
Obi stated that young people mirror the conduct of leadership and public institutions. “When a system appears to reward wrongdoing, when integrity is not upheld, and when those in leadership are associated with allegations of forgery and dishonesty without consequence, it sends a dangerous message,” Obi said.
The former governor of Anambra State said the situation requires national reflection and governance reforms. “Nigeria must now examine itself. This is not about condemning our young people. It is about accepting that leadership sets the tone,” he said
“If we do not demonstrate integrity at the top, we cannot expect it at the bottom,” he said.
The anti-graft agency had previously warned that student involvement in cybercrime is a national security threat and called for reforms in university governance and accountability systems.
