Browsing by Author "Ojolo, Tolulope Lembola."

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A criminological investigation into the lived experiences of cybercrime perpetrators in southwest Nigeria.
(2020) Ojolo, Tolulope Lembola.; Mkhize, Sazelo Michael.; Olofinbiyi, Sogo Angel.
Internet fraud, also known as ‘yahoo-yahoo’, has become very popular in Nigeria, especially among the youth. Adopting a qualitative research design through a phenomenological lens, this study investigates the experiences of cybercrime perpetrators, otherwise known as ‘yahoo-boys’, in Nigeria. It seeks to understand the factors influencing and sustaining youth involvement in cyber criminality in Nigeria. Painstaking in-depth interviews were conducted with 29 yahoo-boys across three cities in Nigeria namely, Lagos, Ibadan and Ado-Ekiti. The study adopts the arguments of Robert Merton’s Strain Theory and Rational Choice Theory as a theoretical framework. Findings suggest that poverty, unemployment, corrupt political leadership and law enforcement, failure of vital social institutions to meet the needs of most of the population, as well as the proliferation of internet service providers have all merged to create a booming business of cybercrime in Nigeria. Narratives of yahoo-yahoo among the yahoo-boys vary from some admitting that it is a criminal act to others seeing it as an opportunity to escape the harsh socio-economic realities of Nigeria. Some also see it as an avenue for retribution and the redistribution of wealth. Some of these yahoo-boys believe that because most of their victims are based in rich western countries, they are taking revenge for the years of exploitation and oppression Africa has suffered through slavery and colonialism. Yahoo-yahoo is maintained and sustained through a highly sophisticated network of inter-continental groups of individuals and interests pooling resources together and sharing information and skills with the intent to defraud harmless individuals, business organisations and government parastatals across the globe. They pass on their skills and knowledge to recruits who, most times, consider themselves lucky to be joining the bandwagon through a structured system of apprenticeship and mentorship. The entire network of yahoo-yahoo is built on reliance and collaboration, and more recently has begun exploring elements of the supernatural- spiritualism, to boost the trade. It was brought to the fore that the efforts of the government to curb this illicit trade have been marred by corruption. Therefore, the study concludes that yahoo-yahoo is an endemic problem in Nigeria that requires a broad, systemic, and multi-level intervention. The proliferation of yahoo-yahoo in the country does not just bring to the fore the consequences of the harsh socio-economic reality Nigerians endure, but its normalisation as an inescapable reality for some young people among various groups of people show the decadence that has pervades in the country’s moral norms and ethical codes. To address the problem there is the need for an attitudinal change. Yahoo-yahoo must be labelled as a crime and not an avenue to escape poverty or get retribution. The government must address unemployment, invest in poverty reduction initiatives, and provide better remuneration across the board. There will be a further need to purge the Nigerian law enforcement agencies of corruption and constantly (re)train its officers on how to handle cybercrime. If initiatives such as sport development programmes and skills acquisition programmes are part of the education curriculum, young people will have the opportunity to develop capacity in other conforming areas of life that could yield a better remuneration in their adult life.
Examining fake news on WhatsApp messaging in the political ecology of Ado-Ekiti and Akure, South-West Nigeria.
(2024-12) Akpan, Udoh James.; Mkhize, Sazelo Michael.; Adeyiga, Abisoye Adedoyin.; Ojolo, Tolulope Lembola.; Hosea, Patrick Olayiwola.
WhatsApp is a major communication and social media tool in Ado-Ekiti and Akure, Southwest Nigeria, and it is popular in the urban and rural areas. All ages and groups use the digital platform to disseminate information. Aside words, it has attractive features like photographs, voice notes and videos, and that has increased its wide used. However, the political class and their supporters have also exploited these benefits to spread misleading information. Fake news has become a phenomenon in Nigeria, and the carriers of this fake news have mobilised WhatsApp with all its attendant features for smear campaign and to spread the so-called fake news against their opponents. This is rife in Ado-Ekiti and Akure. This study investigates the dangers of using WhatsApp digital platform to spread fake news. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a random sampling method to recruit and conduct semi-structured interviews with male and female residents of the twin-cities of Ado-Ekiti and Akure that are above 18 years. The study concluded that the government will have to strengthen digital media laws by instituting an independent body that will regulate and prosecute people who use the platform to cause damages to people, especially their political opponents, thereby protect the public from being assaulted with fake and misleading information that has consequences.