The former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has described internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, as “geniuses who need redirection.”
Obi made this remark on Saturday while speaking as a guest at the Archbishop Patterson Auditorium, All Saints’ Cathedral, Onitsha, during a conference themed “Money Beyond Wealth.”
“I told the youths that some of our so-called Yahoo boys are geniuses who need redirection, not condemnation,” Obi said in a statement summarizing his remarks at the conference, shared on X.
Praising their ingenuity and boldness, Obi stated, “Their creativity and courage, if properly guided, can drive innovation and national development. Our challenge is to channel their energy from deception to productive enterprise.”
He further emphasized that leaders must lead by example, warning that “the reckless pursuit of money destroys both character and community.”
He added, “Leadership must lead by example, for a nation that rewards dishonesty cannot build integrity. I urged our youths to rediscover the dignity of labour and embrace hard work and innovation. Nations are built not by miracles but by men and women who think, work, and build.”
Obi’s comments praising Yahoo boys—criminals known for defrauding unsuspecting victims—have drawn attention amid growing concern over their impact both domestically and internationally.
In recent years, several Nigerians abroad have been convicted of internet and wire fraud, prompting global scrutiny of the activities of Nigerian cybercriminals.
Authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States have issued travel advisories warning citizens about the prevalence of Nigerian online fraud.
Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), previously lamented that such activities have tarnished Nigeria’s global image.
Speaking on the matter, Olukoyede said, “Today, if you travel abroad with your green passport, you stand in the queue among so many people, you will discover that by the time you present your green passport, the people will look at you with some reservation. That is if they don’t take you outside to carry out special scrutiny on you. That is the national shame some young Nigerians have caused for us.”
