‘Yahoo yahoo’ is a Nigerian lingo for cybercrimes that hobble the digital space, with perpetrators having incurred a negative image on Nigeria before the international community.

Family School’ as name for a cybercrime academy! But it is also obvious that the trend is energised by how society idolises wealth, particularly illicit wealth.

Two Nigerians – Obiwanne Okeke popularly known as Invictus Obi, and Ramon Olorunwa Abbas aka Hushpuppi – pulled the biggest internet heists in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and until tackled down by security operatives of other countries, they commanded cult following among relations and acquittances in their homeland and role-modelled for some youths. Societal morality has sunk so low that some mothers were in recent times reported staging a demonstration to get their children arrested for alleged internet fraud by security agents released. And it is the same factor that propels the ritualist dimension of cybercrime known as ‘Yahoo plus.’

There is need for drastic reset of the societal value system to elevate integrity and hard work above easy wealth. Besides, news of arrest of cyber fraud suspects isn’t enough; they must be brought relentlessly to justice to dissuade emulators.

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