By Abubakar Sadique
The rots in our societal values have taken many dimensions in recent times, one of which is a fraud, ‘yahoo-Yahoo’ as called by many.
Indeed, youths have now considered fraud as a lucrative business, as well as the easiest shortcut to wealth. I have heard of how youths in my locality are living large and they allegedly got their wealth by unlawfully attaining it through fraud by use of ATM cards, Sim cards, and smartphones of either working-class individuals or business individuals who engage in E-transaction.
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The annoying aspect of the whole criminality is the manner in which it keeps attracting young boys (mostly teenagers) to join the chain of such “bad eggs”.
Personally, I have come across talented, bright young individuals whom their manner and lifestyle impressed me a lot only for them to give me a shock by revealing that they have interest in acquiring wealth just like their friends in the neighboring locality if only they can have access to abandoned ATM’s.
Basically, they too are convinced that gaining access to any financial instrument of a stranger is the shortest means of becoming rich. It is shocking and at the same time, I felt insecure. “Nobody is safe”, I murmured to myself.
In another story, I was told that one of such beneficiaries in the “yahoo deal”, renovated his parent’s abode with the money he was able to gather through those illicit means.
One will wonder, why are most parents unable to question or grill their children to know their means of income. All these are happening under the watch of the elders at home and the elders in the society and nothing is being done to checkmate the menace.
The trend is on the increase and to my greatest shock, there is little or no clampdown on those perpetrating such evil.
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Yahoo-Yahoo far, I haven’t seen prominent people reacting or lamenting to this rising trend in our society, with the exception of Diezani Alisson Madueke (former minister of petroleum).
Going by the definition of prominent, Madueke falls within that purse although her popularity is purely in negative terms or reference, hence people may not take her outcry seriously. However, her claims are not far from the truth. It is worrisome of what could be the fate of our younger generations and our children yet unborn.
Its either we arrest the devastating decay troubling our society or we watch while it consumes us all.
Sadiq (assadiq.aldaud@gmail.com) is an advocate of a better and improved society, he based in Kano.
