Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said that Internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo boys must be very brilliant to carry out such illegal activities and that efforts must be made to redirect their thinking for positive and legitimate use. 

Speaking at an education town hall meeting in the state on Friday, February 19, Governor Obaseki said

“I am concerned. Cyber fraud and Yahoo culture are big issues. I am calling on everyone to please send as much information as you can to my office.

On Monday, I am going to see the chairman of EFCC. 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?”

In January, a video of three teenagers searching for where to learn internet fraud in Edo state had surfaced online and went viral.