The Northern Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, has urged Nigerian youths to stay away from cybercrime and money-making rituals, warning that wealth acquired through illegal means can never bring true success or peace.
Hayab gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja, where he expressed concern over the growing involvement of young people in cybercrime, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo” and “Yahoo-plus.”
According to the cleric, the pursuit of wealth is not wrong, but using dishonest and violent means to acquire money is unacceptable.
“The Bible does not discourage wealth creation, but it clearly says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Ill-gotten money cannot make you rich,” he said.
He described cybercrime and ritual killings as acts of stealing and violence, stressing that taking what does not belong to one is wrong, no matter how it is presented.
“When you steal money, you are a thief. That is unacceptable. If this continues, these young people will grow into terrors in the future,” Hayab warned.
He added that the moral decline associated with such acts often leads to more dangerous crimes, including abduction and ritual killings.
“When you begin to kill in order to make money, you lose your humanity and your peace,” he said.
Rev. Hayab attributed the rising trend to the breakdown of parental discipline, noting that some parents now encourage or even boast about their children’s involvement in illegal activities.
“Moral decadence has eaten deep into society. Some parents accept this terrible and ungodly means of making money, though many others will never allow it in their homes,” he said.
He cautioned that ignoring the issue could have serious consequences for the nation, especially if individuals who built wealth through crime eventually seek political office.
“If such people grow up and aspire to become chairmen, governors, or lawmakers, they will use their ill-gotten wealth to buy their way into power, and things will only get worse,” he warned.
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Hayab therefore called on parents to instil values of hard work, honesty, transparency and integrity in their children, urging society to take a collective stand against cybercrime and ritual practices.
He also highlighted the efforts of the Global Peace Foundation, where he serves as Country Director, noting that youth development and girl-child education are key focus areas of the organisation.
By supporting the education of young girls, he said, the foundation hopes to raise responsible mothers who will, in turn, nurture disciplined and morally upright children.
“We mentor young girls, help them enrol in school and complete their education, so they are not lured by so-called ‘Yahoo boys.’ Educated mothers will raise responsible children, and that benefits the whole society,” he added.
