The Founder and Senior Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has spoken strongly against internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo,” describing the practice as outright stealing.
The cleric warned Christians against associating with individuals involved in fraudulent activities, stressing that some internet fraudsters are allegedly members of churches.
Ibiyeomie made the remarks during a sermon while addressing the issue of fraud and the damage it causes to victims. According to him, no justification or explanation can change the fact that taking another person’s money through deception amounts to stealing.
“You know, there are Yahoo boys inside the church. Inside the church, they have no conscience. Yahoo boys, even in this church, there are Yahoo boys.
They defraud somebody and they are very happy in church. It’s stealing, no matter how you put it. Yahoo is stealing.
You are just colourising it. Yahoo is wrong. Yahoo is stealing. I don’t care how you paint it, Yahoo is stealing.
Whatever you take that belongs to somebody else is not your own; it’s stealing. Yahoo is stealing. I don’t care how you colourise it, Yahoo is wrong.”
The pastor also shared the story of a university professor who, according to him, worked as an electrical engineer and consultant at one of their project sites.
Ibiyeomie claimed that the professor lost all the money in his bank account to internet fraudsters before reportedly collapsing and dying.
“How can you be a friend to a Yahoo person? Do you know that I know somebody, a university professor? He was one of our consultants at the site, an electrical engineer. I won’t call his name.
This man was Yahooed of every money he had in his account. He physically held his burglar-proof and collapsed. He died.
They took every money he had saved. He was talking with people and just went off. Every savings he had as a professor was gone.”
Using the incident to highlight the impact of financial fraud, the cleric said victims could suffer devastating consequences after losing money they had spent years working and saving for.
The Salvation Ministries pastor also criticised those who allegedly flaunt expensive cars and other luxury possessions acquired through fraudulent means.
“Now, such a man will come and say, ‘Boy, you don buy a car.’ Get lost with your car.
You can’t follow such a person. In case you are following such a person, separate from him now. And if you are a Yahoo boy in this church, go to another church and give your offering.
I don’t care how much you have. Go, go, go, because you are killing people.”
Ibiyeomie further alleged that internet fraud has resulted in deaths, particularly among people who lose substantial portions of their savings.
He specifically pointed to retirees who may lose their gratuities and funds accumulated over decades of employment.
“People have died because of Yahoo. They will just steal like this, and their hearts will just fly. Somebody will retire, and all his gratuity, they will just take it.
Some people don’t have a conscience. They are dead.
You say, ‘Boy, stop this Yahoo.’ Now they say, ‘For what na? How man go take survive?’
Now, we don’t want you to survive like that. Oh, my God.”
The cleric maintained that financial difficulties should never be considered a valid reason to defraud unsuspecting individuals.
He urged young Nigerians to seek legitimate sources of income and avoid enriching themselves at the expense of others.
