Opinion

Still On Nigerian Youth And Ritual Killing

Published

4 years ago

May 13, 2022

Video clips of some alleged online scammers, popularly known as Yahoo-Yahoo boys who ran amok on the streets of Enugu, went viral on the social media a few days ago. A young woman was seen in the video running after one of them who had yanked off his clothes, trying to cover him with a wrapper.
This has become a regular occurrence, young boys suddenly losing it mentally and doing all kinds of unthinkable things in the open. Recall the story of a young man in his early 20s said to be a ‘yahoo-yahoo’ boy, who ran mad and stabbed himself to death with a broken bottle in Ugheli, Delta State, some years back.
It is really getting out of hand. Young girls are getting killed for ritual purposes, young men are going crazy and dying for ritual killing. Who will save Nigerian youth?
Our youth, in a bid to get rich quick, are doing all manner of unimaginable things including taking lives and harvesting the body parts of their victims for rituals in support of their Internet fraud “business”. From Yahoo boys where they use their internet dexterity to commit series of cybercrimes, they graduated to Yahoo plus, which requires the use of charm for protection and to hypnotise unsuspecting victims, to the latest – Yahoo plus-plus which involves the harvesting of human parts for the preparation of magic concoctions to boost their cybercrime success. A writer described Yahoo plus-plus this way, it “involves the use of human parts and may need kidnapping other human beings for rituals, which is not necessary in ‘Yahoo Plus’. In Yahoo Plus Plus, the use of things such as victims’ finger nails, rings, carrying of corpses, making incision on their body, sleeping in the cemetery, chanting of incantation, using their fingers for rituals, and having sex with ghosts are common.”
Unfortunately, female parts seem to be the favourite item for the ritual. Recall the killing of a 300-level student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Jennifer Anthony, by a suspected ritualist in a hotel in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Spokesman of the Plateau State Police Command, Ubah Gabriel Ogaba, said Miss Anthony, who was declared missing on December 30, 2021 was later found dead in a hotel in Jos with eyes gouged out of their sockets.
A few weeks back, another girl, Rofiat, was killed by her boyfriend and two of his friends at Oke Aregba, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The girl was said to have been strangled, her head cut off and burnt in a local pot by Soliu, her boyfriend, and two others for money ritual. However, luck ran out on them when a local community guard sighted their activities and alerted the police, which led to their arrest.
While some of these girls fall prey because of their longings for free food, free drinks and other material considerations, others like late Elozino Ogege, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the Delta State University was no such. Her kidnapping and killing was masterminded by a security guard in the university, who promised to help her with information regarding available rooms for rent within the school’s staff quarter. Some of them were victims of love. The same men they loved and who claimed to love them in return, were the ones who killed and mutilated them just to be rich, buy the latest cars, rent expensive houses, belong to the group of big boys and have other good things that money can buy.
But how did we get to this level where material things are now more valuable than human lives? How is it that our young men have mortgaged their consciences and now see nothing wrong in spilling blood? The most worrisome thing is that some parents, being fully aware of their sons’ criminal acts, support them. I remember someone I know telling people who came to report her son’s suspicious acts in school, to leave him alone that it is through the pressing of phones and computers that her son pays his school fees and caters for his other needs. To her, it was a mere punching of the devices’ keyboard, as if they were minting machines. Stories are told of some parents who personally take their sons to where they will be taught the “business”. What about women who encourage their husbands to engage in criminal acts?
At a gathering recently, a question was asked whether there should be harsher penalty for Internet fraud as against a fine of up to N10 million or a term of imprisonment of five years as provided in Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act 2015 and surprisingly, some of the people there including mothers, fathers and young people objected. They said the fine should rather be reduced. A particular young man said that only ‘mugus’ fall victims of Internet fraud, so it should not have been made a crime in the first place.
There are others who claim that Internet crime is thriving in the country because of various reasons – poor leadership both at national and state levels, high level of unemployment, poor parenting, social media and peer group influence and many more.
Definitely, there is the need for government at all levels to be more responsive to the needs of the people, use the proceeds from the nation’s abundant natural resources to develop the country, provide conducive environment for businesses to thrive so that more jobs will be provided for the teeming unemployed youth; our leaders, the celebrities, who many young ones look up to as their role models should cut down on the expensive lifestyle; efforts should be made towards narrowing the wide gap between the rich and the poor in our society. Employment, particularly in government establishments, should be on merit rather than based on who one knows or how much he has to pay for the job so that the deserving people will get the jobs.
But, should these problems be enough reason for our young men to resort to crime, ritual as a means of livelihood? Of course not! It is certain that despite the multitudinous challenges facing the country, many people are still making it legitimately here. By dint of sheer hard work, countless youths in the country have moved from grass to grace. So, our youth should jettison the prevailing get-rich-quick syndrome and think of positive, legitimate ways of using their talent and youthful energy to better themselves and the nation. As a popular saying goes, “success is not easy and is certainly not for the lazy”. You are a school dropout, you refuse to learn a trade, you do not want to do any menial job and you want to drive the type of a senator’s car, how can that be?
Parents should also wake up to their responsibilities towards their children. To be a parent is far more than just giving birth to a child. In the words of Alain de Botton, “To be a parent is to be chief designer of a product more advanced than any technology and more interesting than the greatest work of art”. The duty of a mother or father is to direct the steps of their children, making sure that they do not go astray and when they derail, call them back.
The rate of youths’ enrolment into Yahoo boys and the likes should be of a great concern to all Nigerians as it is capable of destroying this generation and the ones after, if not checked and the task of curtailing it is for everybody. The Police and other economic crime- fighting agencies of the government have done well but they can do better. There is the need to strengthen the sanctioning system. Offenders should be duly punished to serve as a deterrent for many.
Most importantly, unless we begin to de-emphasise materialism in our society and begin to frown at material acquisition through illegal means, we may not succeed in stopping the Yahoo business and that will mean a bleak future for the country.
Lastly, a poser for our young people – A list of the richest young men in the world was released recently. How many Yahoo-Yahoo boys were there?

By: Calista Ezeaku

Opinion

Agony In Ivory Tower

Published

3 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: A university that tolerates missing scripts, result manipulation and ‘sorting’ is not merely failing students—it is quietly destroying the moral foundation of education itself.”

The sad cases of missing scripts, compulsory Sorting, inputting of wrong results and other obnoxious practices in some public universities, leave much to be desired. One cannot imagine how a student will be compelled to suffer consequences of the flagrant negligence of a Head of Department, a lecturer, Department staff or an ICT staff.Many academic and non academic staff in several public universities seem to be performing far below standard, thus unproductive to the university system. The unacceptable cases of sorting, missing scripts, missing results, inputting of wrong grades to students, should not be mentioned in a university, not even in any academic community. This is because people who are employed to work in various positions should have cognate work experience and unquestionable competence. They should not be seen as certificate welding illiterates but people who have been proven to be worthy in learning and character, diligent and competent to carry out assigned responsibilities with minimal or no supervision.

The university as a citadel of learning should boast of men of integrity, people who are repositories of applied knowledge and competence to drive the much desired holistic development in a nation that functions on quality teaching and learning. A situation where a student having gone through the crucibles of learning and written a prescribed semester examination or class-based evaluation test, is told that his or her script is missing or that he or she did not participate in that academic exercise, or must sort to pass, is an unpardonable error and a height of callousness. In fact some lecturers and staff of Departments are using the seeming systemic defect (which is their architecture) as an opportunity to extort students. Sometimes it is discovered much to students chagrin that the supposed missing script was later discovered when a ransom was paid.

Since a lecturer, or Head of Department has in their disposal both Yam and the knife and determines who takes what (if they wish to give without strings), students have no alternative but to submit to their importunate demands in order to graduate at record time.Such practices should be unheard of in an institution that should be a vanguard of moral and ethical values and conduct. What people learn in school constitute their behavioural patterns in the society. Where the school as an agency of socialisation cannot drive positive change first in its immediate environment, then the objective of education as a bedrock for the development of society, is inevitably compromised and counter-productive. The German Reformer, Dr. Martins Luther was quoted as saying, “I advise parents not to put their wards or children in any school where the Bible is not being used as a rule of life because such institutions will unnecessarily be corrupt”.

Gleaning from Luther’s sentiment one can deduce that the lack of respect and regard for values as well as the absence of the fear of God is the greatest undoing of most public schools. Another major challenge is that lack of Information, Communication and Technology literacy or compliance on the part of some lecturers and heads of department, may have informed the decision to give students’ scripts to secretaries to compile and input students results thereby making the secretaries the determinants of students’ fate. It is not saying a new thing that some of the secretaries in the process of compiling results have inputted wrong results, omitted names or down graded some students or given unmerited grades to others.Society today is ICT-driven and ICT-literacy enhances efficiency, speed and a reasonable degree of accuracy if the person behind the computer is level headed, articulate, competent, alive to responsibilities and is aware that negligence on his or her part is not only tantamount to a disservice to the university but to the students who may not graduate at record time because of his or her (computer operator’s) gross ineptitude or carelessness.

The ICT era makes the carrying of hard copy of results obsolete as lecturers through the Heads of Department can log on to the central server of the Exams and Records (if any) or ICT unit and input students’ results directly. By so doing the incessant cases where result on spread sheet is different from the one published online, more often than not, caused by abject negligence, will be avoided. The process will also end the intermediary services of some staff in the universities’ Information, Communication and Technology Department which has become a money spinner-a lucrative source of income to many of them. In fact some ICT staff reserved the power to award grades to students depending on students’ degree of compliance to terms and conditions. They can dubiously make or unmake a student. The university community should be considered too lofty to have careless, negligent, immoral and academic or professionally deficient people as academic or non-academic staff.

The Governing Councils and Senates of universities should be proactive in addressing the menace of missing Script, inputting of wrong results and sorting. This is necessary to end the slogan “Education is scam” so the system can produce quality students who are truly found worthy in learning and in character by operators who exemplify diligence, moral and ethical values. The much-needed reform must begin within the institutions themselves, because the future of any society is shaped in its classrooms.

By: Igbiki Benibo

Opinion

Strength of Emotional Equality

Published

3 days ago

March 9, 2026

The Tide

Quote: “Love thrives not when one gives more, but when both give fully — not in competition, not in performance, but in partnership.”

In every healthy relationship, there exists an invisible balance. It is not measured in grand gestures, expensive gifts, or public displays of affection. It is measured in something quieter and far more significant: emotional equality. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, love becomes less of a negotiation and more of a partnership. Emotional equality does not mean both individuals express love in identical ways. It does not require matching personalities or mirroring temperaments. Rather, it speaks to balance — a shared willingness to invest, to communicate, to be vulnerable, and to grow. It is the difference between two people walking side by side and one person constantly trying to catch up.

In many relationships, imbalance begins subtly. One partner initiates most conversations. One apologizes more frequently. One carries the emotional labor — remembering important dates, managing conflicts, sensing tension, and attempting reconciliation. Over time, this uneven distribution of emotional effort breeds exhaustion. The partner who gives more begins to feel unseen. The one who gives less may grow comfortable in emotional passivity. Love, in such a space, starts to tilt — slowly at first, then significantly. Resentment can creep in quietly, disguising itself as patience. Silence may replace honest dialogue. What once felt effortless begins to feel heavy.

When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, responsibility is shared. Both people are accountable for the health of the relationship. If conflict arises, neither hides behind silence nor dominates through control. Instead, they engage. They listen. They speak honestly without weaponizing words. Equality creates safety — and safety strengthens intimacy. It allows both individuals to express needs without fear of ridicule or rejection. One of the most overlooked aspects of emotional equality is vulnerability. True connection requires courage. It demands that both partners risk being misunderstood. But when vulnerability is one-sided, it becomes exposure rather than intimacy. If one person consistently opens up while the other remains guarded, trust cannot fully deepen.

Equality ensures that emotional risks are mutual. Where one shares fears, the other shares too. Where one admits weakness, the other responds with openness rather than judgment. In such a space, authenticity flourishes. Another crucial element is validation. In emotionally balanced relationships, both partners feel heard. Their concerns are not dismissed as “overreactions.” Their feelings are not minimized or compared. When couples operate on equal emotional ground, they acknowledge each other’s experiences as legitimate. They may not always agree, but they always respect. Validation does not mean surrendering one’s viewpoint; it means recognizing that another’s emotional reality matters.

Equality also protects individuality. Contrary to popular belief, healthy love does not erase personal identity — it enhances it. When both partners are emotionally secure, they do not feel threatened by each other’s independence. Personal ambitions are encouraged, not resented. Friendships are respected, not restricted. Growth is celebrated, not feared. Standing on equal emotional grounds means neither person shrinks to accommodate the other. Instead, both expand, knowing the relationship is strong enough to hold their evolution. Power dynamics often expose emotional inequality. When one partner controls communication — appearing and disappearing unpredictably, withholding affection, or using silence as leverage — imbalance emerges.

Emotional dominance weakens intimacy. It creates anxiety instead of assurance. But when couples share emotional power, there is consistency. There is clarity. There is no need to decode affection because it is offered freely and intentionally. It is important to understand that equality does not imply perfection. Couples will still disagree. They will face stress, miscommunication, and moments of frustration. However, when emotional footing is equal, conflict does not threaten the foundation. Instead, it becomes an opportunity for understanding. Both partners approach challenges as teammates rather than opponents. They choose resolution over ego and repair over pride.

Time often reveals whether emotional equality truly exists. In the early stages of love, intensity can disguise imbalance. Enthusiasm feels mutual. Effort appears equal. But as routine settles in and novelty fades, the structure of the relationship becomes clearer. Who still initiates? Who still invests? Who still shows up consistently? Sustainable love requires sustained balance. It is built not merely on attraction, but on deliberate reciprocity. Standing on equal emotional grounds requires intentionality. It demands honest conversations about needs and expectations. It requires both partners to examine their habits — whether they withdraw during tension, avoid accountability, or rely on the other to carry the emotional weight. Emotional maturity is not about avoiding conflict; it is about handling it responsibly and returning, again and again, to shared ground.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of emotional equality is peace. There is no constant anxiety about where one stands. No guessing games about commitment. No fear that affection may suddenly disappear. Instead, there is stability. There is reassurance. There is mutual effort. In a world where relationships often blur the lines between attention and commitment, equality offers clarity. It reminds us that love should not feel like competition or performance. It should feel like partnership. When couples stand on equal emotional grounds, they build something resilient. They build trust that does not fracture easily. They build respect that does not depend on mood. They build a connection rooted not only in passion but in balance. And in that balance, love finds its strength — not in who gives more, but in how both give fully.

By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Opinion

NDDC: Time To Illuminate Homes

Published

1 week ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Quote:“Twenty-five years on, the Niger Delta cannot celebrate illuminated streets while families sit in darkness. Development must begin inside the home — where children study, businesses grow, and lives are built — before it glows on the roadside.”

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 with a clear and urgent mandate: to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region. The creation of the Commission followed decades of agitation over environmental degradation, infrastructural neglect, and socio-economic marginalization in the region. Its core mandate included the development of roads, bridges, electricity, water supply, health facilities, education, housing, environmental remediation, and economic empowerment initiatives. At inception, expectations were high that the Commission would transform the Niger Delta into a model of regional development. Over the years, the NDDC has indeed implemented numerous projects across the nine Niger Delta states. Roads have been constructed and rehabilitated in several communities, easing transportation challenges.

Schools have been renovated, and new classroom blocks have been provided in underserved areas. Health centres have been built or upgraded, improving access to primary healthcare services. The Commission has also awarded scholarships to students, including foreign postgraduate scholarships, empowering thousands of youths academically.Skills acquisition and youth empowerment programmes have helped many young people gain vocational competencies.Through various interventions, the NDDC has contributed to job creation and local economic stimulation.Solar-powered street lighting projects have been widely implemented in urban and semi-urban communities. These streetlights have improved visibility at night and contributed to enhanced security in some areas. Markets, highways, and public spaces illuminated by solar lights have experienced extended business hours.

For these efforts, the Commission deserves acknowledgment and commendation. However, development must always align with foundational mandates and pressing grassroots realities. A growing concern among residents is that while streets are illuminated, many homes remain in darkness. Rural electrification and household power access remain inconsistent and inadequate across large parts of the region. In riverine and remote communities, families still rely on generators, kerosene lamps, or complete darkness after sunset. The irony of brightly lit streets juxtaposed with powerless homes cannot be ignored. Electricity at the household level directly impacts education, health, and small-scale enterprise. Students cannot effectively study at night without reliable indoor lighting.Families cannot preserve food or power essential appliances without stable electricity.

Micro and small businesses struggle to grow without dependable energy access. While street lighting enhances public aesthetics and security, it does not substitute for domestic electrification. The proverb “charity begins at home” is especially relevant in this context. True community development must first empower households before beautifying public spaces. The Commission’s original mandate emphasizes integrated and sustainable development, not isolated infrastructural gestures. Balanced development requires that energy interventions prioritize homes alongside streets. Solar technology presents a unique opportunity for decentralized household electrification in off-grid communities. Extending solar solutions to individual homes would have a transformative social impact. Home-based solar systems could power lights, fans, small appliances, and communication devices.

Such interventions would reduce poverty, improve living standards, and stimulate grassroots productivity. By broadening its energy focus, the Commission would better reflect the spirit of its founding legislation. This is not a call to abandon street lighting projects, which have their merits. Rather, it is an appeal for balance, inclusivity, and alignment with core developmental objectives. Strategic planning should ensure that rural electrification and household access form a central pillar of ongoing interventions. Community engagement and needs assessments can help determine priority areas for household solar deployment. Twenty-five years after its establishment, the NDDC stands at a reflective moment in its institutional journey. The people of the Niger Delta say: thank you for the efforts so far—but not very much—because true appreciation will come when development begins at home and radiates outward, not merely when streets shine while houses remain in darkness.

By: King Onunwor