JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE

ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.

Https://www.jopd.com.ng

YOUTHS AND YAHOO YAHOO PHENOMENON IN NIGERIA: A MORAL

RESPONSE
By
GABRIEL, SALIFU PHD
Kwara State College of Education Oro, Kwara State
salifu_g@yahoo.com
08039608519 & 08076228468

ABSTRACT
It is a common knowledge that countries all over the world are faced with one challenge or the other. Eminent
among all is the challenge of insecurity of lives and property. In Nigeria there is a scourge of internet
fraudsters known as yahoo yahoo, which have swindled many unsuspecting victims, organizations and
governments their hard-earned resources. Amazingly, the teaming population of youths are the major players
when it comes to this societal menace. Despite various strategies put in place by the government to curb the
activities of these fraudsters, the propagators have sought other avenues to continue to be relevant in their
nefarious acts. The crux of this paper is to examine youths and yahoo yahoo phenomenon in Nigeria from a
moral standpoint. The study adopted Divine Command Theory. An In-depth interview was used to gather
useful data for the work. It was discovered that factors that led to the emergent of youth in yahoo yahoo
phenomenon include bad leadership, unemployment, unwholesome desire for wealth and laziness. The work
recommends provision of employment opportunities for the teeming youths by the government, the role of
parents and religious leaders to focus on moral or ethical values which are inherent in the major religions
(Indigenous African religion, Christianity and Islam) were applied in order to ensure a moral rebirth and
regeneration among youths in the country.
Keywords: Morality, Nigeria, Yahoo Yahoo. and Youths.

Introduction
The idea of writing this paper was conceived in view of the recurring decimal of internet insecurity
in Nigeria, coupled with the failure of all measures taken so far towards curbing it. one cannot but think that
the faulty and precarious security system in the county is attributed to collapse of religious moral values.
Therefore, this paper discusses youths and yahoo yahoo phenomenon from an ethical perspective.
Many scholarly works have been carried out on this cybercrime Adeniran (2008), Tade & Aliyu,
(2011) and Ojedokun & Eraye (2012), focus on religion (subculture) which apprehend a submission that
yahoo yahoo is alien to African culture. Scholarly works by Agunbiade and Ayotunde (2011) and Tade
(2013) only focused on how religion (cyber spiritualism) has been used by the Yahoo boys to continue to
perpetuate their sinister act. Another work by Lawani and Osagie-Obazee (2019) focused on Yahoo plus
(laced with spiritualism) has affected human security with emphasis on counselling for safety and security.
Also, the works of Akanle and Shadare (2019; 2020) focused on explaining the meaning of Yahoo plus and
strategies used by the Yahoo boys and gave reasons on why it has been so difficult to counter cybercrime.
Moreso, the work of Iziaka (2020) expounded on the use of African insurance (spiritualism) by the
cybercriminals. But as good as these scholarly works are, they have not been able to focus on the revival of
moral values as a panacea to the challenges of yahoo yahoo phenomenon among youths in Nigeria. This is
the lacuna that this work has filled.

220
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Conceptual Clarification
Who is a youth?
Youth is a period of time that begins when puberty starts, but youth continues longer in some cultures
than others. Youth includes puberty but it has also to do with changes in the roles and attitudes that are part
of the culture in which the individual lives. Youthful age is a difficult time for both parents and the youths.
During this stage, adults are prone to say “I just don’t know what is the matter with them”. One will discover
that youths are trying to resolve their problems of finding a self-identity and coping with major life challenges
(Oderinde. 1998). Youth is an extension of childhood and thereby presents unique characteristics. A youth
is neither a child nor an adult and he has his own unique interests. A teenager or a youth is a person in
transition. He is leaving childhood for maturity. There are no two teenagers who are exactly at the same level
in their maturation. Besides, this variation in growth, there is an accompanying oscillation and adulthood. A
teenager is one whose life patterns are crystallizing. He is assuming a recognizable life form. But he is still
capable of being moulded. A teenager looks through the eyes of an idealist.

What is Yahoo Yahoo?

With the emergence of these cybercafés in the country, coupled with the availability of more access
to e-mail, and, in turn, new avenues for communication, many fraudsters saw a new means to perpetuate
their sinister acts. This is just as Oloworekende (2019) had noted when he says: ―Veterans of the postal
fraud era sensed an opportunity opening for a larger market to direct their scams; and together with newer,
younger perpetrators seduced by the promise of quick wealth from email scams, they finessed and upgraded
the old Spanish Prisoner trick. The ensuing increase in Nigerian Internet fraud led to "Yahoo" and "Yahoo
Yahoo" becoming terms for Internet fraud, while those that conducted these types of fraud became known
as "Yahoo boys" (Doppelmayr, 2013), with Yahoo Mail being their major means of action. It is believed that
the 419 scheme in Nigeria must have contributed immensely to the rise of
Yahoo boys in the country. The advent of the internet only enables the criminals to reach a greater number
of exponential clients promptly without any track to be traced at the initial stage. In other words, Yahoo
Yahoo evolved from 419 or OBT (obtaining by trick) because of the
availability of the Internet.

What is morality?
Moral or morality is derived from the Latin word, ‘mos’, ‘mores’ meaning “custom” or” measure”.
As “custom”, it is the type of conduct, habit or manner of living expected by society; and as “measure”, it
relates to a standard or guiding rule of life: the belief people have about right or wrong, good or bad; their
aspirations for their lives; the virtues they practice and vices they denounce; the responsibilities and
obligations they accept; the things they feel entitled to; the standards that govern their senses of fair play and
the ideals that shape their sense of what is worthy.
Man is by nature a moral being. This means that in as much as man is created a free and rational
being, he is subject to moral law and is morally responsible for all his actions in contrast to animals who are
amoral and therefore cannot be held morally responsible for what they do. Moral laws were written on human
conscience by nature. Deep within his conscience, man discovers a law which he has not laid on himself but
which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in
his heart at the right moment. St. Thomas Aquinas observed: “The natural law is nothing other than the light
of understanding placed in us by God; through it we know what we must do and what we must avoid.” God
has given his light or law at creation. Conscience is like God’s herald or messenger, it does not command
things on its own authority, but commands them as coming from God’s authority. This is why conscience
has binding force. Hence, the more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside
from evil choices and try to be guided by objective standards of moral conduct. The natural law is permanent
221
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

throughout the variations of history. Even when it is rejected in its principles, it cannot be destroyed or
removed the heart of man.
The fundamental norms of the natural law are discoverable by, and equally applicable to all persons
of all cultures, times and places on earth. In fact, one does not need to belong to any faith or religion or be
literate to be able to tell the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. All these have been written
in human’s conscience. Even in countries that are officially atheistic, their laws will reflect norms of
fundamental ethics, for example that murder, rape, ritual killing, armed-robbery, theft, telling lies and the
likes are wrong, that honesty patriotism, peace and love are good virtues. However, we somehow sense that,
in the privacy of our own souls, there is always a perennial battle between good and evil. Especially
vulnerable are young people who can be influenced to choose evil instead of good. As a result of these evil
influences, some youths in Nigeria are characterized by cultism, ritual killing, kidnapping and most
prominently, yahoo yahoo phenomenon.

Theoretical Framework
The theoretical foundation adopted for this research is Divine Command Theory which asserts that
the standard of right and wrong is the will of law of God. It holds that an action or kind of action is right or
wrong if it is commanded or forbidden by God. In other words, what ultimately makes an action right or
wrong is its being commanded or forbidden by God. This theory has its root in the world view of philosophers
and scholars like Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, William of Ocklam (Omoregbe,1998), and Idowu (1996).
The popular opinion held by them is that ethics is rooted in religious beliefs, and that God is the absolute
source of all ethical Values. It follows that the standard source of morality is to be identified with God’s
commandments, violation of moral values which could engender internet insecurity would have been
avoided. Hence, in our opinion, religion has a significant role to play in respect of morality and that moral
inclination on the part of all and sundry (especially religious people) is a panacea for yahoo yahoo
phenomenon among youths in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Phenomenon

Alamu (2021) observes that as banking sectors began to explore the beauty of the internet around
1999, so also the internet fraud started ‘hacking’ into the net in Nigeria, these internet hackers or scammers
are called yahoo boys. These yahoo boys started bombarding few cybercafés. These dubious internet
fraudsters became pronounced inn Benin city, Edo state in 1999 to be precise, they started to scam people,
especially foreigners by duping them of thousands of dollars, Euros, Pound sterling and many others. As
time went on, ‘Nanny Billing’ came into the fore. ‘Nanny Billing’ is a process whereby those who are willing
to do babysitting are sought to through the internet. These yahoo guys used this avenue to dupe their victims
through online transaction agents. (Alamu 2021). In addition, online dating, match making and online
marriage were included in earnest. These fraudsters used this avenue to swindle white ladies and cajoled
them into marriage, all in falsehood. In this regard, the majority of these ‘yahoo boys’ are easily distinguished
by their profligacy, flamboyant lives, wasteful and carefree lives, changing of cars and clubbing.
Studies have revealed some of the avenues explored by these internet fraudsters. At the heart of many
frauds is the promise of unrealistically high return on investments. A common get-rich-quick scam is the
pyramid scheme. Though, there are many variations of this scam, the usual design is for investors to recruit
other investors for which the recruiters receive a commission. ‘Chain letters’ work in the same work in the
same way by asking you to send money to people are the top of a list. The fake promise is that, you will
receive thousands of dollars when your name reaches the top, Awake (2004).
In response to internet fraudulent practices, the Communication Decency Act was signed into law in
1996, making it a crime for service providers to transmit indecent material over the internet. Computer fraud
and Abuse Act by the United States’ Department of Justice are all out to check the abuse of internet use
222
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Wallace (1999). Consequently, the ‘yahoo boys’ began to change strategy by booking for the available cyber
café for night use only. This was perhaps done in order to be free from the Nigerian Police. Throughout the
night, these fraudsters use different kinds of charms, amulets, ‘hypnotized tortoise’ among others to subdue
and hypnotize their victims, (Osuntuyo, Ireyomi and Aluko, 2021). At times, they impersonate their victims.
This rich-quick syndrome by these ‘yahoo boys’ made them come up with different strategies to freely
swindle their victims, thus, they are called ‘yahoo maga’, (Alamu 2021).
Of recent, yahoo plus (yahoo ) has emerged in addition to the ‘yahoo boys’. They are also called
yahoo o. Whether yahoo plus or yahoo o, these people have resorted to fetishism. In fact, they are easily
distinguished today in town by the police, especially with the way they dress, their outlook and modus
operandi.

Material and Methods

The study adopted an exploratory design. It made use of both primary and secondary data. Primary
data was obtained through the conduct of in-depth interviews. The in-depth interviews were conducted with
16 purposively selected people, including 6 religious clerics from the three religions (Indigenous religion,
Islam and Christianity) in the country. 4 former yahoo boys and 4 ordinary members of the three religions.
The secondary data included books, journal articles and the internet. The data collected were analyzed using
socio-religious approach.

Results
Factors that led to the emergent of Youths in Yahoo Yahoo
From the in-depth interviews conducted by the researcher, the respondents listed some trends that
led to the engagement of youths in yahoo yahoo. and these factors given are thereafter explained together as
follows:

Bad Leadership and Governance

Everything rises and falls on leadership and Governance according to one of the interviewees. He sees
bad leadership and governance as a set stage for many other evils in the country. When the government of
the day is not making life easy for the governed, there is bound to be different uprising and many taking up
matters into their own hands. One of such is the yahoo yahoo boys. One of the interviewees, who was a
former yahoo boy alluded to the fact that he became a yahoo boy because there is no sector in the country
that is working positively. He is of the opinion that even if he had been employed as a civil servant in the
country, he would still have become a yahoo boy, as there is “quick money” with being a yahoo boy than
working for the government. Another former yahoo boy also states that, politicians taking up different
elective positions and amassing wealth for themselves weigh same with the intention and attitude of yahoo
practitioners.
It is unarguable to say that bad leadership and governance has left the country vulnerable for many
people to do what they live with the knowledge that “anything goes” in the country and with the thought that
“everyone is a thief”. Also, (59%) of the respondents agreed to the fact that bad leadership and Governance
is one of the major factors that cause Yahoo Yahoo phenomenon in the society.

Peer Pressure
Yahoo yahoo among youths is enhanced by peer pressure. According to Uwe, Asuquo and Ekuri
(2008) and Esire (2016), behaviour that does not conform to the cultural norms or laws of a given society at
a particular time and is oftentimes negatively sanctioned, is referred to as crime. Esire (2016) states that
criminal behaviour, is sometimes influenced by peer pressure because of lack of proper parental care or
upbringing. If their mates are succeeding without being caught and punished, they have a feeling they could
223
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

engage in such crimes and get away with it. 52% of the respondents also agreed to the fact that peer pressure
is one of the factors that have led to the growth of yahoo yahoo in the country. More so, in an interview
conducted with a former yahoo boy, it was made known that peer pressure – the ability to meet up with the
way the friends were “enjoying life” brought about his involvement in the act. Another former yahoo boy
also notes that he obviously fell for the act when he was cajoled into it by his friends who were already into
it and were supposedly doing good.

High Rate of Moral Decadence

Moral decadence is identified as one of the inhibitors that led to the growth of yahoo yahoo
phenomenon in the country. Van Den Toren (2013) quoting George Kinoti from Kenya notes that:
Moral failure is at the heart of the prevailing socio-economic crises in Africa. Selfishness on the part of the
rich western nations and the ruling African elites is largely responsible” Tribalism, corruption, dishonesty,
laziness and embezzlement are widespread in African countries. They all contribute significantly to the social
and economic problems facing the continent. And they are serious obstacles to development. The above
shows that the youths involved in yahoo yahoo are using the laxity in the moral level of the society to
continue to perpetuate their sinister act. Akinnaso (2018) was also able to note that,
The ongoing economic challenges in Nigeria have brought other challenges to the fore. There is a
pervasive loss of moral compass across the society. This is particularly evident in the people’s participation
in various economic activities. True, some are driven by hunger and the struggle for survival, while others
are driven by the desire to maximize profit. Yet others are driven by seer greed. Whatever the motivation,
the desire to make money is pursued at the expense of morality. It is as if the people have sold their soul to
the devil (Akinnaso, 2018). To buttress this assertion, (54%) of the respondents concur to the fact that High
rate of moral decadence is one of causes of yahoo yahoo phenomenon among youths in the society.

Unemployment
High rate of unemployment is another factor that is responsible for the prevalence of yahoo yahoo in
Nigeria. Unemployment breeds poverty and promotes thuggery, touting, violence, ritual killing and,
ultimately, armed robbery. All these social vies constituted security challenges in Nigeria, Alufo (2013).
There is no gainsaying that unemployment pervades the nooks and crannies of the country, especially among
the youths. This is noticeable in the participation of youths in the various government schemes (like
Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, National Poverty Eradication Programme, Sure-P and the
most recent N-Power) rolled out over the years to bring to its teeming population. No wonder Alana (2003)
opines that there is a large population of unemployed youths. It could be rightly said that the idle minds have
become the devil’s workshop. This view is supported by a report published by punch newspaper in 2019.
The article made it known that unemployment has translated into insecurity in Nigeria. Ibrahim (2019) in a
report published online by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance that people perpetrate a significant proportion of
these general crimes in their youthful ages.
Similarly, it is no longer news that higher institutions in the country continue to churn out
undergraduates with no corresponding means of employment whatsoever. Recent statistics shows that there
are over 20 million unemployed persons in the country (National Bureau of Statistics, 2020; Kazeem, 2020).
According to the former Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, the Nigeria unemployment rate is 33.5% in
2020 (The Premium Times, 2 May 2019). Yet, the rate at which jobs are provided is not commensurate to
the number of labour force in the country. Hence, an individual whose quest is to make a living at all cost
end up in illicit activities when there are no meaningful avenues of make up a living or improving their
livelihood, Osuntiyi et al (2021). More so, (57%) of the respondents believed unemployment is also a trend
that has contributed to the engagement of youths in yahoo yahoo.

224
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Laziness
Many of those involved in the act of yahoo yahoo are often presumed to be lazy. Many have the zeal
for wealth without stress. According to one of the interviewees,
“Many people involved in yahoo yahoo are in it because of shear laziness.
Ame ene ejudoo ku mama neke chu kolan (lazy people with hands that cannot
be used to work). I cannot imagine a 21st century youth saying he wants to be
involve in yahoo yahoo and even to the extent of going to yahoo plus if not for
the fact that such a person is lazy.”
Another interviewee noted that,
“Many of those in the act are lazy, that even when you empower them with a
means of livelihood, they are sure to continue with the act because it is quick
money, which they will spend lavishly.
The above shows that laziness is a big factor that encourages people to be involved in yahoo yahoo. More
so, (53 %) of the respondents responded that Laziness on the path of youth is a major factor that contribute
to the trend of yahoo yahoo phenomenon among youths in the society.

Unwholesome Desire for Wealth

It is important to note that a large number of Nigerian youths are not willing to go through the stress
of starting from the scratch; they want to get to the pinnacle of success without doing the work that is
required. Money is very essential to families and individuals alike. Meanwhile, the excessive desire for
wealth is the bone of contention. To buttress this point (60%) of the respondents agreed that unwholesome
desire for wealth is one of the factors that enhances yahoo yahoo phenomenon among youths in the society.

Effects of Yahoo Yahoo

Stigmatization: When a person is believed and known to be a yahoo boy, many well-meaning Nigerians
usually dissociate themselves from such a person. Many people do not want to have anything to do with
them, as they are now believed to be more devilish with the addition of spiritual elements.

Mismanagement of Assets: Since the money they are spending are illicit money that are not labored for,
many yahoo boys often mismanage whatever asset they use such as money to purchase. They usually believe
they are going to get money to acquire another asset once they come across another victim.

Spiritual Repercussion: Many of the yahoo boys with the use of spiritual elements usually meet their
waterloo as a result of failed charms or ineffectiveness of charms. While some will lose their sanity or run
mad, some may become useless in life with no remedy or even lose their lives via different mysterious
occurrences.

Bad Influence on coming Generation: There is no gainsaying that the influence being wielded by Yahoo
Yahoo is nothing but bad and evil influence that encourages laziness at the expense of dignity of labour. This
should be discouraged by all means and at all cost.

Encourages Extravagant Lifestyle: The Yahoo boys live extravagant life and hence prodigal with
expenditures. Market goods are often made more expensive, as most of them usually spend money lavishly,
not minding the prices of goods they are to buy. According to one of the respondents who is also a house
agent,

225
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

“Once house agents notice that the person coming to them to get an apartment
is a Yahoo boy, they tend to increase the cost of the accommodation because they
believe the Yahoo boy will pay without thinking twice.”
Corroborating the Above assertion, a former Yahoo boy also opines that we usually pay for whatever is in
the market and we even make sure that nobody is able to enter whatsoever market we are buying things from.
It is pertinent to note that this action takes place occasionally and not always because the Yahoo boys
themselves are often afraid of the security agents.

National Integrity is at stake: When Yahoo boys are on the loose it affects the integrity of the country.
Many investors are discouraged from investing in the Country and money meant for social development are
usually channeled into combating Yahoo Yahoo. In fact, security agencies such as the Economic and
Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) with the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigeria Police have been working around
the clock to strengthen the national cyberspace, but their efforts seem to be in vain as crime rate is on the
increase. this is largely as a result of corruption within the security agencies (Osuntuyi, et.al, 2021).

Suspicion: Everyone is deemed a “thief”. Everyone is treated as a potential thief who is willing to defraud
another person and as such, people are being too careful to deal with their fellow Nigerians. Also, many
Nigerians who travel abroad have often been faced with this effect that they have been treated with much
disdain due to their nationality. The country’s image has been dented with the scourge of the Yahoo Yahoo
phenomenon. As a result of these fraudulent practices, Nigerians in Foreign lands are under close
surveillance and they can be arrested for no just cause (Alamu, 2021).

Psychological Effect: Anyone who falls victim to Yahoo Yahoo may end up developing health issues such
as Heart attack due to financial loss. Victims can experience different degrees of psychosis also because of
financial loss or use of charm by the perpetrator (Osuntoye et.al, 2021). There is also a spill-over effect from
the ritual killings committed by some yahoo boys (Umukoro, 2019)

A Moral Response to The Challenges of Yahoo Yahoo Phenomenon in Nigeria

The concern in this section is to examine some religious and moral values viz-a-viz their implications
for internet security. In this piece, religious and moral values are actions prescribed for religious adherents
to integrate into all aspects of life (Familusi and Oke 2013). They are referred to also as positive principles.
They cut across the three major religions practiced in Nigeria. Thus, man must live a moral life because
morality is commanded by God as advanced in the Divine Command Theory (Omoregbe 1998). The list of
ethical principles in religions is long. However, some that concern yahoo yahoo phenomenon will be
discussed.
To start with, Honesty. Honesty is a virtue which everybody (yahoo boys and girls) must imbibe.
The wisdom behind the common saying that honesty is the best policy is not immediately evident in Nigeria
today. Omoregbe (2004) says that what is immediately evident to the superficial observer is that honesty
does not pay, that it is dishonesty that pays. Christianity places much emphasis on honesty and it is
indispensable to Christian living. The Bible says:” Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any
people” (Proverbs 14:34). The New Testament admonishes Christian to “have a good conscience” and to
desire to conduct themselves honorably in every way (Heb. 13:18).
Honesty in Islam entails self-discipline, truthfulness and sincerity (Salifu, 2014). The Qur’an
metaphorically refers to honesty (truth) as a missile to be hurled at falsehood, thus knocking out its brain
(Surah 2:42; 61:2-3). Muslims are enjoined to be honest in words and deeds (Surah 29:15, 30:45). Apart
from the virtue of honesty emphasized in the two holy books, the virtue of honesty is not left out in the oral
226
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

tradition of the African people. For instance, in the Igala tradition, the value of honesty and truthfulness are
emphasized in this manner by Salifu (2021),
“Ko chochi Ko gecha
Ko chochi Ko gecha
Ene ochochi chene
Kami Ibegwu atoobi”
Be honest and be truthful
Be honest and be truthful
He who is truthful is the one
Supported by the divinities.
Associated with truth is sincerity. Whoever is sincere will know that yahoo yahoo is a vice which must be
eschewed. The righteous are described as inheriting the earth (Qu’ran 21:105) and are promised to be
rewarded with fountain in Al-Jannah (paradise) (Qu’ran 76:5-15). We can conclude that this promise will
elude cyber criminals (yahoo boys) because they are unrighteous (Akintola, 1993).
Also, we see sanctity of life as one of the moral principles negated by yahoo yahoo phenomenon.
Every religion has an account of how man was made, God being the giver of life. Consequently, life is sacred
in and can only be taken by the giver - God. According to Christian ethical teachings, human is sacred. God
is the author of human life (Genesis 1:27). God gives life to humans and only God can take it. This is buttress
by the biblical saying, “Thou shall not kill,” (Exodus 20:13). Thus, it is ethically wrong to destroy human
life through rituals or other means without just cause.
In Islamic ethics, right to life is very important and considered a sacred human right. Therefore, Islamic
ethics endeavours to protect it. The human blood sustains life, and nobody dare to shed it. Life is venerated
and guarded so much so that no one is allowed to neither cut it short nor threaten it (Appaih-Sekyere, et al,
2018). The Qu’ran says,
“…that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to
spread mischief in the land – it would be as he killed all mankind, and if
anyone saved life, it would be as he saved the life of all mankind…”
(Shah Haneet, 2005).
Likewise, in the oral tradition of Africa, it is clearly obvious that the taken of human life is abhorred. To
emphasize how the human life is venerated, the Igala people has this to say, “Olayi one took le efu ogho
ileyidu” (That in quality and value nothing is to be compared with the human life including money).
Therefore, yahoo boys killing and sharing human parts for the sake of wealth and riches have grossly negate
the supreme law of the creator and hence are bound to be punished.
Another moral principle that bothers on yahoo yahoo is hard work. Hard work as a virtue must be
imbibe by youths who want to be successful in life is a religious obligation. Paul emphasizing the dignity of
labour warns the Thessalonians against idleness (2 Thessalonians 3:6-12). In the same vein, he advises
Christians not to be slothful in business, but fervent in spirit and serving the Lord (Romans 12:11). In the
book of proverbs, a hardworking person is accorded the honour of standing before kings and not mean men
(Proverbs 22:29). In Islamic ethics, hard-work is equally encouraged. The Qu’ran asserts that nobody can
achieve his objectives without being hard working (Qu’ran 53:30). It upholds the dignity of labour when it
says that the noblest among men are the most dutiful (Qu’ran 40:13). Also, in tradition African communities,
lazy and indolent people are not respected. Thus, it is believed that success achieved through crooked and
fraudulent means is ephemeral (Salifu, 2014).
The principle of contentment. This is the quality or state of being contented. The get-rich-quick
syndrome has beclouded our youths sense of reason and from treading the path of honour by being loyal to
their parents, organizations and country. For a nation to be great, the leaders of tomorrow (youths) must
make faithfulness, honesty and loyalty their everyday affairs (Oke, 2013).
227
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Also, we see love as a prerequisite for harmonious living. It is a fundamental element in religion.
The Bible describes it as the fulfilment of the law (I Cor. 13). Love is expressed in hospitality, care,
sympathy, empathy and spirit of oneness. It can be said that where there is love, justice will prevail and other
vices will be avoided. Love is analogous to the golden rule, which states that “Do unto others what you
expect them to unto you”. (Matthew 7:12). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in his Sunnah says “No one of you
is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself” (Ayantayo 2009). An Igala
adage says, “Alo li ki na gugbo kia lote” that is, while felling a tree in the forest, one must think about how
it feels. In other words, in whatever we do, we must always be conscious of those who will be affected.
Immanuel Kant opines that an action will be adjudged to be good if the actor would want it to be a universal
law (Omoregbe, 1998). Despite the quintessence of love; it is a scarce commodity in Nigeria. This is to say
that its absence has largely contributed to internet insecurity in Nigeria. Most actions of yahoo boys
escalating on a daily basis in recent times in Nigeria, can only be explained in term of lack of love.

Conclusion
As established in the work, the problem of internet insecurity in Nigeria can be blamed on non-
adherence to moral values. The country is under a serious siege and the failure of past attempts to curb
internet insecurity (yahoo yahoo) does not help the situation. It is for this reason that a revival of moral values
is advocated. This is expected to be helpful in a country populated by religious youths like Nigeria, where
paradoxically, the Divine Command Theory is not conformed with.

Recommendation
On this note, it is pertinent to recommend a total revival of these values at every level of existence
so as to curb the menace.
 The church, mosque, school, family and other agents inculcating morality must be alive to their
responsibility by exploiting virtues that can enhance moral sanity among youths.
 The intellectual and moral development of youths has their first roots in the family. Parents should
start at an early age, to curb, redirect or sublimate tendencies of children in accordance with social
demands, the parents should strive to build in a child a sound foundation on which he/she can build
morally as he/she grows up into adulthood. It is also worthy of note that it is unreasonable to expect
moral success with our children without submitting ourselves to the laws of morality.
 Government should endeavor to create job opportunities for these teeming youth, so as to lay their
hands on profitable and lawful ventures in the society because many of them are not lazy as it is
being speculated in some quarters.
 Government should give an interest-free loan to the youths as a way of empowering them.
 The church and other civil organizations should actively alleviate poverty, especially in the provision
of food and creation of job.
 The religious organisations should admonish the youths whose poverty is as a result of their laziness
or poor work habits, so that they may work harder and become rich. In other words, they must always
emphasize the dignity of labour.
 People should be extremely careful on a rich-quick syndrome phenomenon. It is when this beclouds
the imagination of some people that they easily fall prey to scammers. Honestly, one should be
contented with what one possesses, and be calm not to be rushed or pressured into making a quick
decision.

REFERENCES
Adeniran, A. I. (2008). The Internet and Emergence of Yahoo boys Sub-Culture in Nigeria. International
Journal of Cyber Criminology (IJCC),2(2), pp. 368–381.
228
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Agunbiade, O. M.and Ayotunde, T. (2011). Spirituality in cybercrime (yahoo yahoo) activities among youths
in South West Nigeria. In: E. Dunkels, G. Franberg& C. Hallgren, eds., Youth Culture and Net
Culture: Online Social Practices. Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global,pp. 357-380
Ajufo, B.I. (2013) Challenges of Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: Effective Career Guidance as a
Panacea. 7 (1), pp. 307-321.
Akanle, O. and Shadare, B. R. (2020). Why has it been so difficult to Counteract Cyber Crime in Nigeria?
Evidence from an Ethnographic Study. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 14 (1),pp. 29-
43. http://doi.10.5281/zenodo.3738962
Akinnaso, N. Nigeria in a Moral Crisis. Punch Newspaper. Retrieved 9 January, 2023 from
https://punchng.com/nigeria-in-a-moral-crisis/
Akintola, L. “Islamic Moral Values” in Abubakar R.D. et al (eds), studies in Religious Understanding in
Nigeria: NASR. pp. 24-30
Alamu, 277-278
Alamu, A.G. 2021, Religion and Public Affairs in Nigeria (Ilorin: K-Success Media), 279
Alanana, O.O. (2003) Youth Unwemployment in Nigeria: Some implications for the Third Millennium.
Global Journal of Social Sciences, 2 (1), pp. 21-26
Appiah – Sekyere, P. and Ebosabah, C. (2018), “Christian Ethics and Islamic Ethics.” A Critical
Comparative study in the Ghanian Context., International Journal of Arts and Social Science,
Volume 1 Issue 2, 46-47
Awake 2004 (New York: Watch Tower Publication), 1
Ayantayo, J.K. 2009, Fundamental of Religious Ethics. Ibadan: End-time publishing House LTD, 72.
Doppelmayr, A. (2013). ―It‘s all About Love : Organisation, Knowledge Sharing and Innovation among
the Nigerian Yahoo Boys. Master's thesis submitted at Centre for Technology, Innovation and
Culture, University of Oslo, Norway.
Familusi, O.O. and Oke, O.P. “The Revival of Religious Moral Values as a Panacea for Insecurity in
Nigeria.” In Ayantayo, J.K and Fatokun, S.A (eds) Religion and Insecurity Issues (Proceedings of
2013) Biennial International Religious Studies Conference, University of Ibadan, Ibadan: JOHN
ACHERS, (2013) 327
http://www.objectivistcenter.org/articles/dkelley_morality_andpolitics.asp. Retrieved on 23rd May, 2023.
Idowu, E.B. 1996, Olodumare: God in Yoruba Belief (Lagos Longman Nigerian PLC), 145
Iziaka, M. (2020). African Insurance (Spiritualism) and the Success Rate of Cybercriminals in Nigeria: A
Study of the Yahoo Boys in Ilorin, Nigeria. International Journal of Cyber Criminology. 14(1), pp.
300-315. http://doi.10.5281/zenodo.3755848
Oderinde, J. T. 1998. “Social Ethics and the Moral Problems of Youths in Oro Community, Kwara State”.
PhD Thesis Submitted to the Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan.
Ojedokun, U. A. and Eraye, M. C. (2012). Socioeconomic Lifestyles of the Yahoo-Boys: A Study of
Perceptions of University Students in Nigeria. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 6 (2),
pp.1001–1013.
Oke, O.P. 2013 “Ethics in the Nigerian National Pledge and its implications for the Transformation
Agenda, Orita Journal of Religious Studies, XLV 182 June & December, 106-108.
Oloworekende, A. (2019, August 28). No More Insufficient Funds: Yahoo Yahoo and Cybercrime‘s
International Ecosystem. Retrieved 21 September, 2020 from https://republic.com.ng/august-
september-2019/yahoo-yahoo-naija/
Omoregbe, J.J. 1998, Ethics: A systematic and Historical study, (Lagos: JERP), 181-192
Osuntuyi, P.M., Ireyomi, A.O and Aluko, O.P. 2021, “Youths and Cyber insecurity in Nigeria: The role of
religion in mitigating against the yahoo yahoo phenomenon in Rwanda Journal of Social Sciences,
Humanities and Business: Volume (2) Issue (1) March, 50-59
229
 JOURNAL OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE
ISSN Print: 2992-2763 - ISSN Online: 2992-4618. /vol 1, No 3 / September, 2023.
Https://www.jopd.com.ng

Salifu, G. 2014, “Religious Ethical Isssues in Cybercrime among youths in Oro Community, Kwara State.”
An MA Dissertation submitted to the department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan
42 -46
Salifu, G. 2021, “Religious Ethical Perspective on Parental Responsibility and Youths’ Moral Problems in
Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State” 22-24
Tade, O. (2013). A Spiritual Dimension to Cybercrime in Nigeria: The Yahoo Plus Phenomenon. Human
Affairs,23, pp. 689–705. http://doi.10.2478/s13374-013-0158-9
Umukoro, E., Ritual does not give us money: Yahoo boys confess. Guardian Newspaper Retrieved 23
January 2023, from https://guardian .ng/features/ritual-does-not-give-money-yahoo-plus-boys-
confess.
Uwe, E.A., Asuquo, P.N and Ekuri, E.E., Parenting and Responsibility: Holding Parents Accountable for
Children’s Antisocial Practices. Journal of Human Ecology 24 (1) pp. 51-57.
Van den Toren, B. Teaching Ethics in the face of Africa’s Moral Crisis: Reflections from a Guest
Transformation, 30(1), pp 1-16
Wallace, E. 1999, “The Brave World” Monograph, (New Jersey: Leicester Publications) 2

230