Edo Governor Is After Cultists, But What About Yahoo Yahoo and 419 Scammers? The Questions Nigerians Deserve to Ask

The central question: Is Edo State fighting all forms of organised crime with equal determination, or has the campaign against cultism become more visible than the fight against internet fraud, financial scams, and alleged criminal networks with political connections?

Editorial note: This is a political opinion and accountability article. Claims about crime rates, alleged political connections, and individual wrongdoing require evidence. No allegation against the governor, his deputy, or any other public official should be treated as established fact without independent verification.

Introduction: Why Cultism, Why Now, and What About 419?

Edo State has a security problem that cannot be reduced to a single criminal label. Cult-related violence, kidnapping, internet fraud, advance-fee fraud popularly known as 419, and other forms of organised crime raise different but sometimes overlapping questions about public safety, economic opportunity, policing, and political accountability.

Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration has made its campaign against cultism a prominent security priority. In May 2026, security operatives arrested 12 suspected cultists and sealed two apartments allegedly used as initiation centres following a killing near the University of Benin. The state government has also publicly addressed internet fraud and other criminal activities. These developments complicate any claim that the government has done absolutely nothing about online fraud. The more important question is whether its actions are sufficiently comprehensive, transparent, and consistent.

The public deserves to know how many investigations have been opened, how many cases have reached court, how many convictions have been secured, and whether people suspected of different forms of organised crime face the same standard of investigation regardless of their wealth, connections, or political status.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has repeatedly raised concerns about internet fraud. In May 2024, it reported 3,175 convictions for economic and financial crimes across its operations during the preceding year and specifically warned about young people becoming involved in internet fraud.

That is a national enforcement challenge. It is also a reason to ask what state authorities, federal agencies, educational institutions, and communities are doing to prevent young people from entering criminal networks in the first place.

1. Is the Crackdown on Cultism Comprehensive Enough?

Cultism can be associated with killings, intimidation, extortion, recruitment of vulnerable young people, and violence connected to rival groups. When credible evidence points to an immediate threat to life, government intervention is necessary.

However, a security policy should not become a substitute for a comprehensive crime strategy.

If a government pursues suspected cult members while failing to investigate credible evidence of financial fraud, kidnapping, extortion, or corruption, citizens have a legitimate reason to demand an explanation. That does not mean the government is necessarily neglecting those offences. It means the government should publish evidence of its performance across the different categories.

In Edo, the public debate should move beyond dramatic announcements and ask measurable questions:

• How many cult-related cases have resulted in convictions?
• How many suspected internet-fraud operations have been investigated by the appropriate agencies?
• How many victims have recovered their money?
• Have investigations reached people suspected of financing or protecting criminal networks?
• Are the results published in a form citizens can independently assess?

A government that publishes reliable figures makes it easier for citizens to distinguish effective enforcement from publicity.

2. Are Cultism and Internet Fraud Connected?

In public discussions, the terms cultist, Yahoo boy, 419er, and criminal are sometimes used interchangeably. That is an oversimplification.

Cultism refers to membership or participation in a group whose activities may range from unlawful secret-society activity to violent criminal conduct, depending on the circumstances. Internet fraud involves deception carried out through digital platforms, while 419 traditionally refers to advance-fee fraud and is now commonly used more broadly for different forms of financial deception.

Some individuals may participate in more than one criminal activity. Some criminal groups may engage in extortion, fraud, or violence. But there is no sound basis for assuming that every cultist commits internet fraud or that every person who commits online fraud belongs to a cult.

The distinction matters because effective policing must be based on evidence of individual conduct, not stereotypes about young people, neighbourhoods, occupations, or social circles.

The proper question is not whether every scammer is a cultist. It is whether investigators are identifying and prosecuting each offence that evidence establishes.

3. What About the Allegations of Political Connections?

One of the most sensitive questions in any anti-crime campaign concerns alleged connections between criminals and people in positions of influence.

Public suspicion can arise when individuals who appear to enjoy unusual wealth, political access, or protection are not seen facing the same scrutiny as ordinary suspects. Such suspicions deserve careful investigation, but suspicion is not proof.

There have been rumours alleging that the Edo deputy governor is connected to internet fraud. This article does not establish that allegation as fact, and no conclusion about guilt should be drawn from it without credible, independently verifiable evidence.

Nevertheless, the broader accountability question is legitimate: Would the government’s enforcement policy apply equally if credible evidence implicated a politically connected individual?

The governor should be able to answer that question through transparent procedures rather than political rhetoric.

A credible anti-crime policy should include:

1. Independent investigation of specific, credible allegations.
2. Public confirmation of official investigations where disclosure is lawful and appropriate.
3. Prosecution where sufficient admissible evidence exists.
4. Protection against political interference.
5. Equal treatment under the law regardless of wealth, party affiliation, family connection, or public office.

If allegations are false, evidence-based clarification can help protect reputations. If allegations are substantiated, the law should take its course. Neither political loyalty nor public anger should replace due process.

4. Ten Reasons Nigeria Should Take Internet Fraud Seriously

Internet fraud is not a victimless activity. It can damage individuals, families, businesses, and Nigeria’s international reputation. The following are ten reasons for a sustained national response.

1. It causes direct financial losses

Victims can lose savings, retirement funds, business capital, and money borrowed from relatives. For some families, a single fraud can undermine years of work.

2. It exploits vulnerable people

Romance scams, fake investment schemes, impersonation, and advance-fee fraud can target people experiencing loneliness, financial pressure, or a lack of access to reliable information.

3. It damages the reputation of honest Nigerians

When Nigerian fraud cases attract international attention, legitimate entrepreneurs, students, freelancers, and businesses can face greater suspicion even when they have done nothing wrong.

4. It undermines trust in digital commerce

Online shopping, remote work, international payments, and digital services depend on trust. Fraud can make customers reluctant to transact with unfamiliar businesses.

5. It can expose young people to criminal networks

Recruitment into fraud operations can normalise deception, expose young people to coercion, and encourage them to view criminal proceeds as an acceptable alternative to lawful work.

6. It can finance other unlawful activities

Where investigations establish that criminal proceeds are being used to finance additional offences, authorities should trace those proceeds and prosecute the responsible individuals. Such connections must be demonstrated case by case rather than presumed.

7. It discourages legitimate entrepreneurship

A young Nigerian building a lawful online business should be rewarded for skill, creativity, and honest service—not placed under suspicion because other people use digital platforms for fraud.

8. It creates long-term legal consequences

A criminal conviction can affect employment, travel, professional opportunities, and future business relationships. Prevention and rehabilitation therefore matter alongside prosecution.

9. It can involve international criminal networks

Cross-border fraud may involve victims, money transfers, digital identities, and associates in several countries. Tackling these cases requires cooperation between Nigerian authorities and their international counterparts.

10. It diverts talent from productive innovation

Programming, cybersecurity, digital marketing, software development, and online commerce can create legitimate income. Society loses opportunities when technical skills are used to deceive rather than build.

The solution is not simply to arrest more young people. It is to investigate credible evidence, protect victims, recover illicit proceeds where legally possible, and make lawful digital work more accessible.

5. Ten Reasons Some Nigerians May Resist a Crackdown on Yahoo Yahoo

Why would anyone oppose action against fraud? The answer is not that fraud is justified. Rather, several social and economic pressures can make enforcement controversial, particularly when citizens distrust the fairness of institutions.

1. Unemployment and limited opportunities

Some young people face serious barriers to stable employment. A crackdown without credible pathways into lawful work may be perceived as punishment without a solution to the conditions that make criminal recruitment attractive.

2. Economic hardship

When families struggle to afford basic necessities, some people become more vulnerable to promises of quick money. Economic pressure helps explain the attraction of illicit income, although it does not excuse defrauding others.

3. The glamourisation of unexplained wealth

Luxury cars, expensive lifestyles, and conspicuous spending can attract admiration even when the source of the money is unclear. Public figures, entertainers, influencers, and community leaders can help change these attitudes by celebrating honest achievement.

4. Social pressure among peers

Young people may face pressure to demonstrate financial success to friends, relatives, or potential partners. Where status is measured mainly by visible wealth, dishonest shortcuts may appear more attractive.

5. Distrust of law enforcement

People may question an anti-fraud campaign if they believe investigations are selective, politically motivated, or influenced by personal connections. Transparent case records and fair procedures are essential to public confidence.

6. Fear of wrongful accusation

Legitimate programmers, cryptocurrency users, digital marketers, online traders, and freelancers may fear being unfairly associated with criminal activity. Clear evidence-based investigations help distinguish lawful digital work from fraud.

7. Family dependence on questionable income

Where relatives depend on money whose origin has not been adequately examined, an investigation may generate resistance or pressure to protect the person providing that money.

8. The perception that corruption starts at the top

Some citizens question why low-level offenders should be prosecuted if credible allegations of corruption against powerful people are not investigated transparently. This perception is best addressed through consistent enforcement at every level, not by excusing fraud.

9. Inadequate digital skills and career guidance

Young people who lack access to training, equipment, mentorship, and legitimate online employment may find it harder to see alternatives to quick-money schemes. Education and opportunity are important parts of prevention.

10. The belief that victims are distant or wealthy

Some offenders rationalise deception by imagining that foreign victims can afford the loss. This ignores the fact that victims may be ordinary workers, elderly people, small-business owners, or families who have saved for years.

These explanations should help policymakers design better prevention programmes. They should not be used to excuse wrongdoing or dismiss the harm suffered by victims.

6. Why the Fight Must Go Beyond Cultism in Edo State

A state government does not have to choose between fighting cultism and fighting internet fraud. The two challenges can be addressed through coordinated but appropriately specialised enforcement.

Cult-related violence may require urgent local policing, protection of threatened communities, and investigations into violent incidents. Complex online fraud may require digital evidence, financial investigations, cooperation with banks and technology companies, and coordination with the EFCC and other relevant agencies.

The public should therefore expect a broad security strategy that addresses:

• Cult-related killings and intimidation.
• Kidnapping and extortion.
• Internet fraud and advance-fee fraud.
• Financial crimes and money laundering.
• Criminal financing and the proceeds of unlawful activity.
• Corruption or interference that obstructs lawful investigations.

In May 2026, the federal government’s information service reported that Edo authorities had reiterated their stance against cultism, internet fraud, and other criminal activities. That public position gives citizens a clear basis for asking for measurable results across all these areas.

The important issue is not whether cultism receives attention. It is whether other serious offences receive appropriate attention too.

7. Five Questions Governor Monday Okpebholo Should Answer

Rather than relying on rumours, citizens and journalists can demand specific information.

Question One: What are the state’s published security priorities for cultism, internet fraud, kidnapping, and other organised crimes, and what measurable targets accompany them?

Question Two: What formal coordination exists between the Edo State Government, the police, the EFCC, and other relevant agencies investigating internet fraud and financial crimes?

Question Three: How many cases involving different categories of crime have resulted in arrests, charges, convictions, or victim restitution? What period do the figures cover?

Question Four: What independent procedures exist to investigate credible allegations involving politically connected individuals, including members of the administration, without interference?

Question Five: What programmes are available to help young people move into lawful technology careers, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and employment?

These are questions of public administration, not declarations that any individual is guilty of a crime.

8. What a Fair National Anti-Fraud Strategy Should Look Like

Nigeria needs more than occasional raids and headlines. A sustainable strategy should combine enforcement with prevention.

First, investigations should follow evidence and apply the law consistently. Public officials, businesspeople, students, and ordinary citizens should be subject to the same legal standards.

Second, victims should have accessible channels to report fraud, receive updates, and seek restitution where the law permits.

Third, agencies should publish reliable, clearly defined statistics that distinguish arrests, charges, convictions, asset recovery, and money actually returned to victims.

Fourth, schools and communities should teach digital ethics, financial literacy, and the legal consequences of fraud.

Fifth, government and the private sector should expand access to legitimate digital skills training and employment. A young person with programming or design skills should have a realistic path to earn a living honestly.

Finally, authorities should distinguish legitimate online work from deception. Selling products online, developing software, trading lawfully, and providing freelance services are not crimes simply because they involve the internet.

Conclusion: Equal Justice Must Be More Than a Slogan

Edo State has legitimate reasons to confront cult-related violence, especially where lives are threatened. But security cannot be measured solely by the number of raids, arrests, or buildings demolished.

Citizens also need evidence that internet fraud, financial crime, kidnapping, extortion, and any credible criminal activity involving influential people are investigated according to the law.

The allegation that the deputy governor is involved in internet fraud remains an unverified allegation in this article, not an established fact. It should neither be repeated as proof nor used to shield anyone from a proper investigation if credible evidence exists.

The larger issue is institutional consistency. A government earns public confidence when it demonstrates that no group is beyond investigation and no individual is guilty merely because of rumour.

For Edo State and Nigeria as a whole, the choice should not be between fighting cultism and fighting Yahoo Yahoo. Both violent crime and financial fraud can harm society, and both deserve appropriate, evidence-based responses.

The question Nigerians should keep asking is simple: Are all credible allegations being investigated fairly, and can the authorities demonstrate the results?

That is the standard by which an anti-crime campaign should be judged—not by rumours, political affiliations, or the identity of the latest person arrested.

Sources and further reading

1. Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Edo State Government Reinforces Commitment to Combating Cultism and Crime While Accelerating Development Initiatives, 20 May 2026.
2. Channels Television, Security Operatives Arrest 12 Suspected Cultists in Edo, Seal Alleged Initiation Centres, 13 May 2026.
3. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Secures 3,175 Convictions, Recovers N156 Billion in One Year, 29 May 2024.
4. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Court Jails Two Chinese 46 Years Each for N3.4bn, $2.5m Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud in Lagos, 11 February 2026.