Yahoo boys are intelligent, I won’t condemn them – Obaseki

Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki has said that internet fraudsters, commonly known as Yahoo boys, are very intelligent people who need to have their brilliance re-directed into activities that will better the society.

Obaseki, who spoke on Friday at a town hall meeting on Edo State Education Policy, said he does not condemn those involved in the criminal act, stressing that the root cause of the trend must be investigated and uncovered.

According to him, the method the government used in tackling trafficking in the state would be employed in ending cyber crimes.

The governor, who urged stakeholders in the state to avail him with information on the activities of the Yahoo boys, on Monday, said he would be meeting with Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to find a solution.

Obaseki said; “I am concerned. Cyber fraud and Yahoo culture are big issues. I am not condemning those involved. There must be a reason why that culture has become so prolific in Edo State. We must find the root cause and address them as we did in the days of trafficking.

“Let’s see how we can correct it because these children must be very brilliant. The kind of things they do, how they hack into other people’s accounts. How do we re-direct that thinking into something more positive?”