The Need To Curb Activities Of Internet Fraudstars

The Need To Curb Activities Of Internet Fraudstars

By: Emmanuel Njoku

Recently, the media has been awash with series of horrible reports on ritual killings by internet fraudsters also known as yahoo boys or yahoo plus boys.

The nefarious act cuts across all parts of the federation.

For instance, in Ogun State, a twenty-one-year old man, Friday Odeh and his accomplice Poso Idowu were arrested in Owode Egba for butchering a man for ritual purpose.

In Bauchi another young man, Isaac Ezekiel pulled out the eyes of a sixteen-year-old boy, Uzairo Saolisu also for rituals. Rivers State is not spared as twelve suspected internet fraudsters were apprehended for burying a day-old baby alive.

As if that was not enough, the corpse of a young woman was found chopped and mutilated in the house of her boyfriend in Obio/Akpo Local Government Area.

These horrible stories are just a few that happen on a daily basis, portraying the country in a very bad light.

The perpetuators of these dastardly acts, sadly are youths between the ages of twenty and thirty-five who are even students of high institutions.

These young men flout their ill-gotten wealth with impunity while performing satanic activities to gain spiritual power to command fortune.

Their mode of operation is with the aid of computers to hack into people’s accounts, or dupe unsuspecting members of the public and even foreigners of huge sums of money, sometimes in hard currencies, while some specialize in killing and harvesting organs of their victims to sell to their highest bidders.

In pursuing their sinister aim, they go extra mile to dabble into human rituals, desecrating themselves by committing incest, eating excrements, and performing other forbidden acts.

Such disgusting and inhuman actions, of course have devastating aftermath, as some of them meet their waterloo by running mad or dying mysteriously at a young age.

Economically, the activities of Yahoo boys can induce inflation because most times, they offer high prices for cheaper goods and services out of their ill-gotten wealth.

There are several reasons that have been alluded to the surge in the activities of Yahoo boys all in the name of Get Rich Quick Syndrome.

However, prominent among them, is the breakdown of family values.

The unit as an agent of socialization has forgotten its main responsibility of proper up-bringing of a child in all ramifications.

Therefore, the family must, as a matter of urgency live up to its responsibility.

The society also has a role to play in uplifting its norms and criticizing any anti-social conduct in the community, instead of giving titles to people whose sources of income cannot be verified.

The governments, on its part, should provide an enabling environment for the youths to strive because the absence of it leads to idleness, and as the saying goes, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

The law enforcement agents should redouble their efforts in apprehending and prosecuting those who engage in such activities while the judiciary should expedite action in making them face the wrath of the law to serve as deterrent for others.

Religious organizations should preach more about virtues which includes handwork and emphasise less on prosperity.

The media should be in the vanguard to campaign against cyber criminals and communicate the dangers of practicing such trade to young people.

It is high time to redeem the nation of internet Fraudsters and craze of the Get Rich Quick Syndrome for a better and prosperous Nigeria.

Edited By Grace Namiji