Youths and cyber insecurity in Nigeria: The role of religion in mitigating against the <i>yahoo yahoo</i> phenomenon

Abstract

It is no news that countries all over the world are faced with one challenge or the other. Outstanding among all is the challenge of insecurity of lives and properties. In Nigeria, there is the scourge of internet fraudsters known as Yahoo Yahoo, which have swindled many unsuspecting victims their hard-earned resources. Interestingly, the teaming youth population are the major players when it comes to this societal menace. Despite various efforts being put in place by the government to forestall the activities of these fraudsters, the propagators have sought other avenues to continue to be relevant in their nefarious acts. Thus, using questionnaire and in-depth interviews to gather its data, the study traced the trend that led to the engagement of youths‘ in Yahoo Yahoo. It analysed the effect of the practice of Yahoo Yahoo. It also examined the major religions (Indigenous religion, Islam, and Christianity) in the country and the roles they play in mitigating against the Yahoo Yahoo phenomenon in the country.