В образованном штате Экиги родители начинают восхвалять киберпреступников

Editorial Follow Us on Google August 25, 2026 by Our Reporter Iya Omo-Ologo •It is disturbing that some parents in Ekiti, Nigeria’s literacy capital, now glorify ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ and cybercrimes suspects through this association For very long, Ekiti State in the South Western part of Nigeria has been referred to as the literacy capital of Nigeria. This is primarily because the state has the highest concentration of educated people, including professors, per capita, in Nigeria. This is often traced back to the early 20th century when parents and communities placed very high value on education. Communities and missionaries invested a lot in education through basic education and teacher training colleges, amongst others. The pleasant outcome of the state’s investment in education can be seen in the number of professors, which is the highest in the country, university vice-chancellors, the number of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), with the very popular legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, and Prof. Niyi Osundare, the popular literary giant and poet, as beacons. Ironically, Ekiti State is the smallest state in population in the region. It had recorded top positions in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) in the past. Sadly, the tables seem to have turned in what many now see as a switch from the classes to the keyboards, a euphemistic reference of the sudden display of the loss of interest in education in preference to the lure of cybercrime by the youth of Ekiti State. The current social phrase of ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ is a coinage that seems to replace the popular ‘419’ type of cybercrime that was popular in the late 1990s – early 2000s. The’ 419’ term was the legal code name for section 419 of the Nigeria Criminal Code on fraud. The early days were about phantom tales about fake inheritance and non-existent oil blocks for sale as baits to defraud foreigners especially. Read Also: 2027 and Nigeria’s unending tribal wars The ‘419’ system of fraud was basically through the then communication channels of fax, letter-writing and phone calls, as the internet was quite new at the time, and there was a proliferation of cybercafés. With this came the Yahoo mail messenger and chat rooms through which most of the young people started chatting up foreigners. So, the ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ term seemingly took a life of its own and has become for many the easiest way to commit cybercrimes and get rich quick. With the advancement and innovations in the tech world, other means of communication now make it easier to target victims. In an era of waning values, the ‘get rich quick’ syndrome has become an epidemic in different parts of the country. However, the alarm from Ekiti State about the young people abandoning education in pursuit of cybercrime stems from the number of arrests of suspects and convictions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The number of school dropouts and the escalation of crimes in the state, including even ritual killings, all aimed at ‘getting rich quick’ has become a cause for concern not just to indigenes of the state but the whole country. The curious idea that there exists an association of parents of young fraudsters, especially in Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti areas of the state might sound outrageous but reports have confirmed that there exists what in local language is popularly called, “Iya Omo-Ologo”, which loosely translates to, “Mothers of the blessed”, an idea that we believe must get urgent attention. The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, only recently lamented that “teenagers who should ordinarily be preparing for examinations are now spending hours learning online scamming techniques, creating fake social media profiles, communicating with foreign victims and searching for ways to make fast money”. He should know because the crime has become one of the major issues in their fight against financial crimes. That some unscrupulous parents now revel in such juvenile crimes that they are supposed to guard against is worrisome and must be tackled in very firm ways. While we condemn the recent epidemic, we must confess this is not enough. The children are primarily the responsibility of other families, communities and the state. What are the root causes of children feeling that it is okay to ‘make fast money’ through illegal means? Surely, they are existing in communities and would invariably be impacted by what they see and experience. Where are the old values that the societies lived by? The idea that hard work, integrity, humility and honour pay seems to belong to the past. The society seems to celebrate people who make money by all means. The arrest and conviction of the likes of Ramon Olorunwa Abbas popularly called Hushpuppi and his 10-year prison term in the United States happened in the United Arab Emirate and USA, but the effects of their lifestyles have slipped into the society. The unchecked display of affluence by many people whose sources of income cannot be verified or tracked is a bad influence on young people. Unemployment and unemployable young people in any country is at the root of youth criminality. Governments have to create jobs and must invest in functional vocational education that empowers young people to use their skills and talents to earn a living. The treatment of the labour force in Nigeria must be re-examined. Children grow up under parents who have tried to live through honest means and who sometimes do not get their dues from the states while politicians and their cronies live in obscene affluence. To the young people, their experience and what they see around them shape their behaviour. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and governments must sit up and try to regulate access of young people to social media just like many developed countries like Britain has done. It might not be a magic wand but it could help. We feel that failure of parenting in the country has not been tackled effectively. There must be implementable laws that would hold parents of minors caught in certain acts of criminality accountable. There is a reason certain age demographic is referred to as ‘minors’. If the future of a nation is in its youths, then Nigeria must wake up. More investment must be made in the protection of the young people, not just through education but in upholding the basic human values that keep the individual grounded and progressively relevant to nation-building. Education is the best gift any nation can give to its young people. And education is not only about formal education, it involves the basic education from parents, communities, traditional and religious leaders, etc. But Ekiti is just a metaphor for the problem because failed parenting and cybercrimes involving the youths is a nationwide epidemic that must be comprehensively addressed. 📢 ADVERTISEMENT DISCLAIMER: Links above are sponsored posts. The Nation assumes no liability or responsibility for the claims, products, or services offered by third-party advertisers. Proceed with discretion. Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Nation Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline — join now! 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