Yahoo: A New Normal Among Nigerian Youths
By: Abiodun Matthew
For about five days I deliberately exiled myself from social media because I have some self-imposed task to grapple with. It was during this period that I heard the news of a man at Sango area of Ibadan, who was caught in the broad daylight eating human faeces with bread. This is an unimaginable thing for any human in his right senses to do. Yesterday I saw another video of a man whom I suspect would be a vicenarian who was caught doing this same mind-boggling thing.
Earning legitimate money is an old-school thing for many youths today. Many youths are seeking for a faster way to make money and would go any length to do this. Actually this barbaric, inhumane, senseless, sinful, shameful act has long been embraced by many fraudulent youths locally known as “Yahoo Yahoo boys” in Nigeria. In the last one decade Nigeria has witnessed an execrable upsurge regarding cybercrime.
The UN defines cyber crime as any illegal behaviour directed by means of electronic operations that targets the security of computer system and data processed by them; and any illegal behaviour committed by means of or in relation to a computer system or network. Essentially cybercrime is any crime that’s committed on a laptop.
According to Proshare, the estimated annual financial loss in Nigeria due to cybercrime was N250 billion ($649 million) in 2017 and N288 billion ($800 million) in 2018.
Cybercrime seems to be the new and faster path to success among many youths today. It befuddles me that many who are involved in this contemptible activity of defrauding folks who laboured for many years before accumulating their wealth are proud of what they do. According to Proshare, In 2018, in the US, roughly 62,000 people age 60 or older reported losses totaling over $649 million. It is shameful that many ladies today are empty-headed, they prefer to go with someone who is involved in an illegitimate business than go with a person who works really hard but probably earns little.
It is my earnest wish that many youths who would be privileged to read this puny piece would understand that success does not lie in bringing down others. The way to ease financial straitness is not defrauding others.
I will blame many parents for the upsurge that we’re witnessing with regards to cybercrime. Many youths involved in cybercrime are not doing it without the consent of their parents.
Some years ago when the writer’s parents were under a very terrible financial straitness, they were advised by a couple whose two sons are master ‘cybercrimers’ to get their children into the fraudulent activity, this couple even offered their two sons to be tutors in cybercrime.
The point I am making is that some parents find delight in this activity especially when their involved children brings them return. Parents are to teach and raise their children to be useful to the society. Nigeria will continue to be a backward nation if our youths still think that we can defraud others and expect God’s blessings. Many parents today pay little or no attention to the illegitimacy of their children’s business. They believe that inasmuch as they get their return there’s no cause for alarm. Parents are to decry this activity not encourage it.
The government may be faulted for not creating enough job for graduates. While we blame the government, it is pertinent to note that there are other graduates who have multiple degrees yet would rather go unemployed than defraud others.
Rather than defraud others of their hard-earned money, why not learn a trade? Why not take that job that offers a little pay?
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