The rise and rise of ‘yahoo boys’ and their activities in Kogi!

If nothing is done to curb the menace of ‘yahoo boys’ immediately, Kogi State is about being the biggest hub of yahoo boys, given their activities and the large number of boys involved. These boys have relocated to Lokoja, Kogi State capital and are living a larger than life.

They are proudly cruising around town in very expensive vehicles worth over N50 million like lexus, venza and other brand of prado jeeps and are competing with themselves. Most of them ranging from age 19 to 35, could be seen wearing ear rings with dreadlock hairs.

In Kogi State, every property owner like buildings particularly in Lokoja want to have a yahoo boy tenant as they have resources to rent without bargaining the cost. Most of them lodge in expensive hotels, while others still in school rent costly apartments in Lokoja. They have good network among themselves, i.e yahoo boys in the Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba know their group in Confluence University of Science and Technology and in other tertiary institutions which is easy for the group to flock together.

Civil servants can no longer afford to pay rents as rent has gone beyond the normal ceiling because of ‘easy money’ in hands of yahoo boys which they throw around. Notwithstanding, some reasonable yahoo boys have resorted to buying properties with the money which is believed among them that they don’t deal with cash as such, but transfers.

Yahoo boys in Kogi patronises herbalists and possesses voodoo laced with human blood used as ritual or dug from a graveyard at night which they believed hynotises their victims to part away money into their account and that is what has been their modus operandi.

If any of their member loses loved one, celebrating marriage or any kind of event, they are always there either in pure white or black attire to spray money.

In fact, Kogi is in gridlock of yahoo boys! And we demand a serious clamp down, security agencies should see Kogi as another challenge and not just the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives. As the number of yahoo boys is multiplying so is the consequence on the society as their activities may likely snowballed into serious insecurity.

It is no exaggeration to say that the agony of losing money in bank accounts would be a child play, but money in hands very young boys could create another arms bearing gang posing security threat to the society as some desperate politicians could hijack them.

We call on the Inspector General of Police to create anti-yahoo unit in the Nigerian Police to tackle this ever spreading menace. A stitch in time saves nigh!