The Nigeria police force warned on Wednesday that the mothers of internet fraudsters may follow their sons and daughters to prison after it was revealed they may have formed an association called Association of Yahoo Boys Mothers.
In Nigeria, the expression Yahoo Boys refers to internet scammers, usually young men who use the internet to get rich quick by defrauding others.
The expression dates back to the 1990s when Yahoo.com was still the dominant internet gateway and young boys emerged from houses without electricity and began living large with the crimes they committed online using Yahoo Mail! to communicate with their victims.
The Deputy Commissioner in-charge of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba, Yetunde Longe, warned on Wednesday that more internet fraudsters and possibly their mothers may soon be sent to prison.
She was speaking on a morning show program on Lagos Television (LTV) while reacting to shocking reports that some yet to be identified women have formed an ‘Association of Yahoo Boys’ Mothers’.
According to DCP Longe, the reported ‘Association of Yahoo Boys’ Mothers’ was being investigated by the police.
She said if it turned out to be true that they were in any way involved in their children’s international fraud, or have been providing any form of support to their online crimes, that would make them accomplices and co-conspirators.
She warned they would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Almost every day, the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrests or prosecutes young Nigerians with laptops and mobile devices engaged in criminal activities on the worldwide web.
About two months ago, the FBI began prosecuting many Nigerians for stealing millions of dollars from people in the United States and around the world using the internet. https://everyevery.ng/four-million-nigerians-face-acute-food-insecurity-fao/
Mrs. Longe did not say how long her investigation would last but she applauded the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu for his relentless effort in making sure cybercrime becomes a thing of the past in Lagos.
She called on citizens to partner with police for a safer society for all and released some complaint phone numbers for the public to reach out and raise alarm.
The numbers are:
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations)- +2347073666669
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Admin)- +2348023008040
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rapid Response Squad)- +2348037218946
Lagos Police Public Relations Officer- +2347063116303
Lagos Control Room- 767/112
