Pastor Isaac Ibiyeomie has warned church members against engaging in internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo”, saying the practice amounts to stealing regardless of how it is presented.
Speaking during his sermon on Sunday, the pastor said internet fraudsters were also present in churches and criticised those who engage in online scams while maintaining an active Christian life.
“Yahoo is stealing. I don’t care how you paint it, Yahoo is stealing.”
Pastor Ibiyeomie said taking money or property belonging to another person without their consent was theft and should not be justified by describing it differently.
‘Yahoo is stealing’
The pastor repeatedly challenged the idea that internet fraud could be morally separated from conventional forms of stealing.
“Whatever you take that belongs to somebody else, it’s not your own, it’s stealing,” he said.
He also questioned the morality of Christians maintaining close relationships with people they know to be involved in internet fraud.
According to him, people who knowingly associate with fraudsters risk normalising behaviour that can cause serious harm to victims.
Pastor links fraud to victims’ deaths
Pastor Ibiyeomie also recounted what he described as the experience of a university professor and electrical engineer who had worked as a consultant on one of his projects.
He alleged that the man’s savings were taken through internet fraud and that the incident had a devastating effect on him.
The pastor said the professor physically held on to the burglar-proof bars of a building before collapsing and dying.
The account was presented by the pastor as an example of the potential consequences of financial fraud, although no further details about the professor, the alleged fraud or the circumstances surrounding his death were provided in the sermon.
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‘You are killing people’
Pastor Ibiyeomie argued that the effects of internet fraud extend beyond the person whose money is stolen.
He said victims could lose their life savings after years of work and described such losses as potentially devastating, particularly for retirees and people who have spent decades saving.
“People have died because of Yahoo,” he said.
He urged church members involved in internet fraud to stop, arguing that financial success obtained by taking from others should not be celebrated.
Why the warning matters
Internet fraud remains a major concern in Nigeria, where authorities have continued to pursue cases involving online scams, financial crimes and the movement of illicit funds.
The pastor’s comments also touch on a broader question for religious communities: whether professed faith should influence members’ conduct outside places of worship.
Rather than focusing only on the amount of money obtained, Ibiyeomie argued that the source of the money should also be considered.
A wider debate over ‘Yahoo Yahoo’
The term “Yahoo Yahoo” is commonly used in Nigeria to describe various forms of internet fraud. While the methods can differ, the central issue in cases involving deception for financial gain is obtaining money or property from victims through fraudulent means.
Pastor Ibiyeomie’s position was unequivocal: religious or social acceptance should not be used to make fraudulent income appear legitimate.
He urged anyone involved in such activity to abandon it and warned others against supporting or associating with people who knowingly engage in fraud.
