A philanthropist, Dr. Ejikeme Odumegwu, the Owelle of Nsukka, has launched youth campaign against cyber fraud and indecent dressing in Nsukka while giving scholarships to 14 indigent students.
Odumegwu launched the campaign at the weekend during Aji (Enugu Ezike) Deanery Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON) Fiesta to curb youths’ internet fraud — popularly called “Yahoo syndrome” — and promoting moral discipline across the Nsukka Catholic Diocese.
The philanthropist, who addressed the theme: “Scams and Schemes: Why the Yahoo Syndrome Is Not the Answer,” urging young people to deepen their faith and revisit the Ten Commandments.
He called on youths to alert their chaplain, Rev. Fr. Teclus Ike Ugwueze, if they face family pressure to engage in idolatry or wrongdoing, pledging to support any who are disowned for refusing to enter into Neo-paganism.
Odumegwu announced a scholarship drive through his Owelle Ejikeme Odumegwu Foundation for candidates who sat this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with organizers saying up to 13 “JAMBites” would receive funding for courses of their choice.
He also appealed to self identified internet fraudsters willing to repent to come forward even as a young man, Jude Adonu, came out publicly to renounce membership to a “yahoo yahoo group”.
Odumegwu pledged up to ₦10 million to fund the youth’s education from senior secondary school through a law degree, describing him as a “future lawyer”.
“I have come back to Enugu Ezike to stop the Yahoo menace. Security agencies should confront mounting moral decay of ‘yahoo yahoo’ among boys and indecent dressing among girls.
“Security personnel should ensure that motorcycles without license plates are impounded as most times used for criminal activities,” he said.
Beyond educational support, the philanthropist also gave a cash token to a woman living with mental illness present at the event and that the woman should be linked—via the dean—to psychiatric care immediately.
Odumegwu also provided the attendees of the fiesta, who answered questions during the session, a stipends as well as provided free blood group testing and refreshments.
He said that he intended to make the campaign movement against cyber fraud and indecent dressing an annual programme, working with parishes, priests and the authority of the bishop.
In an address, the Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah through the CYON Chaplain, Fr Teclus Ugwueze, pledged four scholarships — two for male and two for female candidates — to Mario’s Institution.
High point of the event was Adonu’s father and the dean of Aji Deanery handed the youth (Adonu), who renounced cyber fraud, over to the philanthropist for relocation to Enugu to begin the process of his education after dropping out in senior secondary school one.
Odumegwu arrived with an entourage of army officers and police officers in charge of the area.
