“Nigerian youths are often criticized for indulging in Yahoo Yahoo, scamming unsuspecting victims online in the name of survival or “fast money.” But when elders, politicians, clerics, and now monarchs are neck-deep in corruption, what moral compass are the young supposed to follow?”
When a Monarch Becomes a Yahoo King; The Shame of Oba Joseph Oloyede’s Conviction
Nigeria woke up to yet another embarrassment when news broke that the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, a monarch from Osun State, has been sentenced in the United States to over four years imprisonment for a $4.2 million COVID-19 fraud scheme.
For a country already battling the global stigma of internet fraud, the conviction of a monarch — a supposed custodian of culture, morality, and values, is a new low, a deeper wound on our national integrity.
When Custodians of Tradition Become Criminals
A monarch is not just a title; it is a sacred responsibility. Traditional rulers are meant to embody discipline, wisdom, and moral uprightness. They are supposed to guide the young, counsel the wayward, and protect the sanctity of their communities.
But how can a ruler who has been caught red-handed in a criminal web of fraud and deceit play such a role? How does a king who betrayed the trust of his people stand before his throne without shame? What moral ground does he now have to warn the youth against Yahoo Yahoo when he himself is guilty of a more elaborate international fraud?
This is a tragedy. It is a desecration of the throne he occupies, and it exposes the wider cancer that is corruption in Nigeria.
The Bigger Problem: Role Models of Fraud
Nigerian youths are often criticized for indulging in Yahoo Yahoo, scamming unsuspecting victims online in the name of survival or “fast money.” But when elders, politicians, clerics, and now monarchs are neck-deep in corruption, what moral compass are the young supposed to follow?
The truth is bitter: leaders and custodians have failed. They preach virtue but practice vice. They condemn Yahoo Boys in public, but in secret they glorify stolen wealth and even celebrate it. The monarch’s conviction in the U.S. is just a loud international announcement of a decay that has long been festering at home.
A Global Stigma Reinforced
For years, Nigerians abroad have struggled with the painful label of being suspected scammers. Genuine students, business people, and hardworking professionals are often treated with suspicion because of the reputation built by a few.
Now, a traditional ruler, not a faceless youth, not a desperate graduate, but a king has reinforced that shame on the global stage.
The image of Nigeria as a breeding ground for fraudsters is now cemented in ways that may take decades to repair.
If It Were Nigeria…
Let us face the truth: if this crime had been committed in Nigeria, Oba Joseph Oloyede would not only be walking free, he would probably be celebrated. Instead of prosecution, he would be frolicking with governors, dining with politicians He would be honored at banquets, handed chieftaincy titles, and given front-row seats at public events.
He would even show up at religious centers to donate millions from his fraudulent wealth, and the same clergy who preach against sin would clap and bless him.
That is the Nigerian tragedy, here, corruption is rewarded, not punished. But abroad, justice has no respect for crowns or titles.
Where Do We Go From Here?
This shame must force us into sober reflection. If the throne, the pulpit, and political offices are no longer safe from fraud and criminality, then Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. It is time to purge the system.
Traditional institutions must begin to enforce accountability among their rulers. A king who stains his throne should not continue to occupy it.
Communities must rise up to demand that their leaders represent integrity, not shame.
The government and civil society must double down on value reorientation, because without values, no nation can stand.
Most importantly, we must stop glorifying stolen wealth. Yahoo Yahoo is not smartness; it is crime. And when a monarch engages in it, he is not a custodian of tradition, he is simply a fraudster with a crown.
The conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede is not just his personal disgrace. It is Nigeria’s collective shame. It is a mirror reflecting how low we have sunk as a society where even custodians of morality are seduced by fraud.
Until leaders lead by example, the younger ones will keep finding excuses to follow the same destructive path. And if nothing changes, we risk raising a generation that believes crime is culture, and fraud is tradition.
Isaac Obasi
