The arrest of Hushpuppy, Wood berry and their clique has led to a social brouhaha among Nigerians both within and outside the country. But I guess, this is due to the magnitude of the crime committed, which has been regarded and probably will be recorded as one of the biggest cybercrime that will be recorded in world history.
However, this is not the epicenter of my concern, my centrifugal concern is the lamentation into the enquiry of the future of Nigeria.
Over the few months, many Nigerians have been arrested in various part of the world for cyber related crimes. Six names where published by the FBI, EFCC, paraded some within the country, and many more are still hiding in rat holes. This trend definitely shows the popularity and ascendancy of the age of criminality and cyber related crimes among Nigerian youths.
A close look into the vast repertoire of African proverbs, I adduce a proverb that says, ‘”good name is better than riches”. Sadly, the youths of today has placed enormous value on riches and flamboyant lifestyles at the expense of their name. Cosmetics has replaced ideology, artifice and edifice of display has replaced moral values and standards. The culture of hard work has been forlorn and the youths have taken fast road to riches.
How we got here is no puzzle, our leaders made their conscience a piece of merchandise that has been purchased by the devil.
The destiny of every society rest upon the shoulders of youths of that society. But from the look of things, the future of Nigeria as a nation is a mirage. I don’t want to be a pessimist or a naysayer but from a realistic view, the future of Nigeria has been punctured by the leaders and to exacerbate our sorrow, the youths with their cyber related crimes are taking it to the grave.
My recent study shows that among every 20 Nigerian undergraduates residing in Lagos state (area of survey) with technological know-how or sophisticated technology that can access the internet. 5 out of them are into cyber related crimes, 3 are nursing intentions to indulge in it, 5 don’t see anything wrong with it, 4 indifference, while only the last 3 believes it’s wrong.
Looking at this demeaning statistics and nature of our society, what is the hope of this nation? If we are to see our future through the lens of today, how much hope are we left with? what do will have in stock for future generations? What is the neurotic aftermath of the age of cyber-crime (yahoo yahoo)? well, I believe none of us has the wit to know the whole truth.
Our unalloyed independence that we enjoyed today came through the effrontery exercised by the youth, the likes of Nnamdi Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo etc. Fast forwarded into the military rule, Nigerian head of states where also youths, but this current youth environment is a fraudulent environment.
It quite unimaginable that the only image Nigeria has to sell to the international community is a bad image. Nations all over the world sells good image of themselves. For instance, Athens became a metaphor of intellectual excellence, but Nigeria became a metaphor of corruption and fraudulent activities.
I dare not suppose that all Nigerians’ mind is made up to oust this calamitous situation, because the people waiting to steal, are way more than those who are already stealing. The elderly ones refused to set a platform of trust and truth for the youth.
If the youth of this nation continues to thread on this disastrous road of cyber-crime, it simply means we are a group of people dancing towards the verge of defrauding ourselves of a beautiful tomorrow.
As it stands, we already created that corruptive and fraudulent niche for ourselves. But it’s never too late to redeem our image.
Nigerians are now scared to introduce themselves as Nigerians to people of international communities due to our dirty activities of cyber-crime, credit card fraud etc. this is one of the reason Nigerians in diaspora faces rejection.
No one can save us from this disastrous end, telling the government to do something about this issue can be liken to a father who smokes and consume alcohol scolding his child not to indulge in such behaviour, how effective can that be. We are the only ones who can save ourselves.
Nigerian youths have to come out of this dark carven of cybercrime, illuminated by sorrowful tomorrow. We have to fight for a better Nigeria, we have to create a beautiful tomorrow for ourselves and generations unborn.
I know there is nothing more metaphysically puzzling than addressing a group of unseen audience. But if this get to you, help spread the news, “say no to cyber-crime’’ our leaders don’t care about us neither do they care about our tomorrow, don’t join them to mortgage our future. Nigeria will be great again!
– Ameh Samuel wrote from Kogi state.
