This research study firstly explores the increasing spate of fraudulent Internet activities in Nigeria, analyses its causes and describes its impacts. Secondly, it gives an understanding of Proverbs 4:10–19, with themes drawn from the pericope to analyse the increasing spate of Internet fraud amongst Nigerian youths. It is believed that Proverbs 4:10–19 will speak anew to the increasing followership of fraudulent Internet activities amongst Nigerian youths.
As someone who lived in Warri, and other places in Nigeria, I experienced many sad developments amongst the Nigerian youths. One of which is the increasing rate of youths getting involved in fraudulent Internet activities otherwise known as yahoo-yahoo business. Internet fraud is considered a lucrative job amongst Nigerian youths. The type of Internet fraud practised by Nigerian youths is known as yahoo-yahoo – a computer-related fraud, where the security apparatus of online transactions is carefully learnt by fraudsters. This will enable the fraudsters to know where to carry out their transactions for a quick monetary reward (Tade 2016). Most times, there are reports in gazettes on the increasing number of Nigerian youths engaged in fraudulent Internet activities. Contemporarily, there is a school for the training of youth who would like to make fast wealth from Internet fraud. Over 10 persons were arrested on 30 January 2021 at Yahoo-Yahoo academy in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where they were recruited and trained. These fraudsters are seen driving around with flashy cars and living in good-looking houses, with ladies loitering around them. Proverbs 4:10–19 admonish the youths from enlisting in this wrong path of Internet fraud.
Proverbs 4:10–19 contain admonition against joining gangs to perpetrate evil. These verses remind its audience of the ever-increasing violence perpetrated by gangs in Nigeria. There is little decent and secured life exemplified by Nigerian youths. The section in Proverbs begins with the rhetoric statement ‘hear my son’, which is an invitation for the son to keep heed to the words of wisdom of the father. However, the young man is given the freedom to choose between the good path and the evil path. However, when the young person is on the evil path, he is more likely to fall, which indicates that the right path alone is the safe one (Fox 2000:179). However, if the young person desires to walk the dishonest path, he is sure to meet stumbling blocks on the road. Many rhetorical statements abound in the study text, which endeared adoption of the rhetorical methodology, as it encourages the youths to pursue wisdom with respect to developments in the real world (Estes 1997:115). Proverbs 4:10–19 assume a rhetorical situation where the audience holds the rhetor in a position of high esteem (Pemberton 1999:155), which places on the audience (youth) the moral responsibility to obey. The speeches composed in Proverbs 4:10–19 convey a fundamental concern for persuasion, that is, rhetoric (Pemberton 2005:64).
Internet Fraud Is Better Than Been A Salary Earner Agreed Or Disagree