Edo expands anti-cultism war to internet fraudsters

The Edo State Government said it is considering expanding the state’s anti-cultism law to include internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” following the killing of a University of Benin student allegedly linked to a dispute over proceeds from internet fraud activities. The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, disclosed this while briefing […]

The Edo State Government said it is considering expanding the state’s anti-cultism law to include internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” following the killing of a University of Benin student allegedly linked to a dispute over proceeds from internet fraud activities.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kassim Afegbua, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Benin City over the security situation in the state and the recent killing of the student.

The victim, identified simply as Alexander, a political science student of the university, was reportedly shot dead on May 10 near the institution’s main gate along the Benin-Lagos Road shortly after finishing his examinations.

Afegbua said the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo remained committed to its zero-tolerance stance against cultism and related crimes.

He said intensified crackdowns on cult groups had forced some criminals to operate under the cover of internet fraud activities.

“We are going to add the issue of Yahoo Yahoo to the anti-cultism law because we are seeing that, as cultism is being tackled head-on, some of them now hide under the umbrella of Yahoo Yahoo to perpetrate criminal acts. The incident at the UNIBEN gate is a clear example,” he said.

Afegbua said preliminary information indicated that the deceased allegedly held money generated by a group involved in internet fraud, leading to disagreements over sharing the proceeds.

“They reportedly traced him to the university after he repeatedly delayed sharing the money. After he finished writing his examination, he was attacked in a gruesome manner,” he added.

The commissioner said the government would sustain its crackdown on cultism and internet-related crimes to improve security across the state.