Seyi Awolowo: Cyber fraud is responsible for low rate of cultism, robberies in Nigeria

Seyi Awolowo, an ex-BBNaija housemate, has claimed the prevalence of cyber fraud in Nigeria is responsible for the low rate of crimes like cultism, robbery, and kidnapping in the country.

He spoke during a recent chat with GoldMyneTV after he was asked if the youth engaging in cybercrime are influenced by politicians who indulge in the looting of public funds.

“This thing is long and deep. I don’t stand for the yahoo-yahoo thing. But do you know that yahoo is the reason we don’t have really high amount of cultism?,” the reality TV star asked.

“And this is just my perspective ‘cause when I was in university, I was always harassed by cultists. But then the next thing, there was a flow of yahoo and they all just disappeared.

“People that used to slap and want to obtain would now rather give. It is something bad, so overtime we abused it.

“Leaders who are supposed to make us see bad in it are doing worse things, stealing more money, and getting away with it. So yahoo boys are like, ‘if he can steal and get away, why can’t I? And I’m not even stealing from Nigeria’.”

On whether he sees any imminent end to the financial crime, which has tainted the country’s global image over the years, Awolowo said the arrest of politicians who loot funds needs to come first.

“I was at the pub and I overheard some people saying their victims were our slave masters. They’re looking for a reason [to justify why they defraud white people] whereas unemployment is the cause,” the 31-year-old added.

“If they have a job, I don’t see any reason why they would want to take another person’s livelihood. I’m not in support of them but if these people did not do yahoo, we will have had so much more armed robberies.

“Kidnapping would’ve been on a different level. Think about it. If you want to hold these boys, start by arresting the older ones (the leaders). When that comes, a ripple effect will take place and the street will clean itself out.”