Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said that the presence of many educational institutions in the state was one of the factors why the state tops the list of internet fraudsters popularly known as ‘Yahoo boys’ in the country.
Abiodun said his administration will establish a financial crime agency to address the challenge in the interest of the state, in particular, and the country in general.
He said this on Friday at the re-launch of the joint state security outfit named OP-MESA, held at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Abeokuta.
He hinted that the internet fraudsters recently held an award ceremony in Abeokuta where prizes were given to “best hacker and fraudsters.”
Abiodun said the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, revealed to him at a public function in Abuja recently, that the Gateway State ranked first in internet fraud among the comity of states in the country.
While quoting Bawa, Abiodun said, “Ogun State tops the list of Yahoo Yahoo boys.”
The governor, however, said he told Bawa that activities of the “yahoo boys” are rampant in Ogun because the state plays host to the highest number of higher institutions in the country, a position he said the EFCC chairman agreed to.
He announced his government’s preparedness to set up a commission to fight financial crimes in the state, with a view to flushing internet fraudsters from the state.
He also declared war on the resurgence of kidnapping, saying they have no place in the state.
“Let me reiterate that we will make Ogun State inhabitable for all criminals.
“The other day I was in a meeting in Abuja and in attendance was the chairman of EFCC. And sadly he said to me, ‘Ogun State tops the list of Yahoo Yahoo boys.’ Sadly.
“But I said to him that I am not surprised because Ogun State is the education capital of this country and you would find such Yahoo Yahoo boys around educational institutions, and he agreed with me.
“He went ahead and said to me that ‘the other day, Yahoo Yahoo boys had an award ceremony in Abeokuta, an award ceremony where they were awarding prizes to the best hacker, the best fraudster.’ Of course, with a sting operation at that award ceremony, some of them were arrested.
“We have decided to set up our own state commission that would be targeted toward eliminating these financial crimes. Our state commission will collaborate with other commissions so that we do not occupy that first place in this area. We have been first in many areas, but not in fraud and ‘yahoo yahoo’.”
