The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of a Benin-based businessman, Goodluck Ejimiyare, for recruiting young boys into a cybercrime training network popularly known as a “Yahoo school.”
Ejimiyare was arraigned before Justice C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Benin City on a one-count amended charge of conspiracy to commit computer-related fraud, alongside an accomplice, Ebuka Henry Eze, who remains at large.
According to the EFCC, the convict ran a group called “Hustling Kingdom,” where he allegedly trained and recruited youths into internet fraud operations.
The charge stated that he conspired in 2025 to commit cybercrime offences, contrary to provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Ejimiyare pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution to seek his conviction.
Delivering judgment on April 20, 2026, the court sentenced him to five years imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1 million fine. He was also ordered to forfeit his mobile phone and sign an undertaking to maintain good behaviour.
The case stemmed from the arrest of 17 boys by the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade Headquarters at a suspected cybercrime training centre in Benin. The suspects were later handed over to the EFCC, where several reportedly confessed that Ejimiyare recruited them into the illegal operation.
The conviction highlights ongoing efforts by the EFCC to clamp down on organised cybercrime networks and the exploitation of young Nigerians in fraudulent activities.
Elijah Adeyemi
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