Northern CAN Chairman Condemns Cybercrime and Ritualism, Calls for Moral Rebirth Among Youth
The Northern Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, has issued a strong warning to the youth against the lure of cybercrime and ritualistic money-making, asserting that wealth gained through dishonest means never leads to true prosperity.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, Rev. Hayab expressed deep concern over the rising trend of “Yahoo Yahoo” and “Yahoo-plus.” While clarifying that the Bible supports legitimate wealth creation, he reminded the public that the “love of money is the root of all evil.”
He urged young people to stop stealing and competing with their peers through criminal acts, noting that the pursuit of ill-gotten gains is a tragic and futile path.
Rev. John Hayab observed that modern terminology often masks the severity of crime, arguing that sophisticated terms like “financial embezzlement” are simply polite ways of describing theft. He warned that if young people are allowed to become “thieves” today, they will evolve into the “terrors” of tomorrow—individuals capable of abduction and murder for rituals.
The cleric blamed this moral decline on the collapse of parental discipline. He criticized parents who not only tolerate but celebrate their children’s unexplained wealth, noting that society has become dangerously comfortable with “ungodly” money.
In his capacity as the Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation, Rev. John Hayab shared that the NGO has made youth development a top priority to address these social challenges.
A central part of their strategy is the promotion of girl-child education. Hayab explained that by mentoring and educating young girls, the foundation aims to raise a generation of disciplined mothers who will, in turn, instill responsibility and empathy in their own children.
He warned that keeping girls in school is a vital safeguard, as uneducated or unsupported young women are more vulnerable to being lured and exploited by “Yahoo boys”—a situation he described as a national disgrace.
