Jidenna Mobisson, Nigerian-American rapper and record producer, says Nigerians are known for scamming because they are naturally smarter than people of other races.
The 34-year-old Afrobeat singer said this in an interview with The Breakfast Club, while commenting on polygamy, crime, and his sojourns across Africa.
He said Nigerians naturally have a flair for dominance and ingenuity in any profession they find themselves, including criminality.
The talented musician, however, disclosed it doesn’t mean that the citizens of Africa’s most populous nation are as bad as many people perceive them to be.
“Scamming happens in Nigeria. And the reason why Nigerians are known for scamming is not that we’re bad people,” he said.
“It’s because we’re smarter than a lot of people. So, as criminals, we’re going to be top at least. Yes, so we will be the best at hacking and everything we do. I used to sell chains from China town. In the hood, I know all the latest jewelry. So, I get cheap ones and take them to downtown Boston to sell to white boys. That was a scam.”
The ‘Classic Man’ crooner also made an analogy with the mass shootings in the United States and said that cases of scamming and cybercrime in Nigeria shouldn’t amount to “painting” the entire country for the much-decried crime.
“I got shot as a child when I was six. My family went through a robbery, kidnapping. Women were assaulted. In most robberies, when the robbers want to say they mean business, they usually shoot up. For mine, they shot down and caught me in my foot,” he continued.
“Luckily, we escaped. They went to go rob somebody else on the highway. This was in Nigeria. I don’t want to paint Nigeria like ‘this is what happens.’ It’s like painting the United States based on the mass shootings. We all know it happens but that’s not it.”
His submission was made at about the time he dropped a new album titled ’85 to Africa‘, featuring Seun Kuti and Mr Eazi, two Afrobeat heavyweights.
On August 22, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a massive burst of online fraudsters and money launderers that led to the apprehension of 80 people most of whom were Nigerians.
According to Nick Hanna, US attorney, the cases involved suspects conniving with federal and state agents to swindle victims of their money to the tune of $46 million.
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