Journal of Education & Social Policy

Youth’s Engagement in Cybercrime (Yahoo-Yahoo) in Owerri Municipal of Imo State Nigeria
Chioma Vivienne Nwokoro, PhD; Prof. Felix O. Chima, PhD; Dr. Daniel Agilebu Ndom, PhD; Okechukwu M. Iheonu, PhD

Abstract
Nigeria has witnessed tremendous and rapid change as a result of the influence of social media, where large proportion of it have led to increased cybercrime and distortion of our value system. In recent time, there is increasing rate of youths’ engagement in cybercrime of which the notorious yahoo-yahoo is paramount in the country. This study therefore investigates from the perceptions of youths on the incessant engagement of unscrupulous youths in cybercrime in Owerri Municipal in Imo state Nigeria, and the factors that predispose them to engage in this crime. The study posed three research questions, and adopted a mixed method approach, whereby 300 youths selected from Owerri municipal in Imo state were shared questionnaires to fill and submit, and another 10 youths interviewed. About 285 questionnaires were retrieved and used for the analysis. The findings showed that yahoo-yahoo is a type of cybercrime perpetrated with the aid of the internet and social media handles, of which the Facebook app is mostly used. Factors such as youth unemployment/lack of alternative income sources, influence of peer pressure and corrupt friends, and fast-money-making syndrome perpetuate the engagement of youths in cybercrime. The study equally showed that the perpetrators of this cybercrime target their victims through anchor social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Tweeter, of which the Facebook was reportedly mostly used. Possible solution against social media frauds were identified, such as government improving living conditions of youths, employment of youths in gainful jobs, encouragement of privacy encryption of personal information, and more responsiveness of government to improving the cyber security system in Nigeria.

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