ActionAid Nigeria has demanded that EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede either prove or retract his claim that six out of every ten Nigerian students are involved in cybercrime, calling the statement “reckless and unsubstantiated.”
In a sharp rebuke issued Thursday to mark Workers’ Day, the rights group said the remark criminalises millions of young Nigerians without evidence and damages their reputation at home and abroad.
“No credible data has been presented to support the allegation,” ActionAid said. “The figure is deeply misleading and damaging.”
Country Director Andrew Mamedu warned that sweeping claims from senior officials erode public trust and reinforce harmful stereotypes. He challenged Olukoyede to publish the data and methodology behind the 60% figure or withdraw it publicly.
“If such evidence cannot be produced, the EFCC must apologise to Nigerian youth,” Mamedu said. “Public institutions must be guided by facts, not conjecture.”
ActionAid noted Nigeria has over 95 million people aged 15 to 35, calling youth “a critical segment of the country’s workforce and innovation ecosystem.” Branding a majority as criminals, it said, ignores deeper drivers like unemployment, hardship, and inequality.
The group urged NANS, the NLC, and civil society to reject what it called a “dangerous narrative” and defend young Nigerians’ integrity.
While condemning cybercrime, ActionAid stressed that youth involvement in crime is a global problem and should not be used to stigmatise an entire generation. It pointed to Nigerian youths leading in tech, healthcare, academia, and the creative industries “despite prevailing socio-economic challenges.”
“We are against all forms of criminality,” Mamedu said. “But accountability must not come at the expense of fairness and accuracy.”
ActionAid pledged solidarity with young Nigerians and said evidence-based communication is essential to fight crime without resorting to harmful generalisations.
ActionAid Nigeria is part of a global federation operating in over 45 countries, working on poverty eradication, social justice, and gender equality.
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