Yahoo boy breaks silence on Abuja hotel ritualist scandal
The suspected Yahoo boy who tied up a woman for ritual purposes in an Abuja hotel on Friday has confessed that his intention was not to kill his victim, but to rob her.
In an interview with Joseph Efe, the 30-year-old admitted that he began his criminal activities last month and had already made over N500,000. He told newsmen that he is an artist and that no one introduced him to this illicit business.
Efe revealed that he met his victim, Olivia Ijeoma Chukwuemeka, on a hookup app called Coded Runs, where they agreed on a fee of N100,000. However, when Olivia arrived at the Top View Hotel in Zone 5, Abuja, he tied her hands and legs, stuffed her mouth with wool and a white handkerchief, and attempted to steal her phone to withdraw money from her Opay account. Unfortunately for him, Olivia had no funds in her account.
Frustrated, he locked her inside the room and attempted to escape before being apprehended by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Olivia, a 25-year-old from Abia State, recounted that upon entering the hotel room, Efe asked her if she was afraid of death. He then threatened that if she did not cooperate, she would not end up like other girls he claimed to have killed, and even threatened to inject her with a deadly substance.
So he took some white sellotape and bound her hands and legs. Afterward, he undressed her and tied her up with her garments. His dissatisfaction continued as he locked her in the room and shoved a white cloth inside her lips.
He pushed for the opening of her Opay app. Her account was devoid of funds when he accessed the app. Consequently, he locked her in the room and attempted to flee, but NSCDC officers caught him.
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Speaking to reporters earlier, following the victim’s parade, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commandant Dr. Olusola Odumosu stated that the suspect admitted to being a “Yahoo boy” during questioning and that he hasn’t been profiting from it. He so made the decision to search for young women on the dating website “coded runs.”
“He works out of Abuja, Lagos, Benin, and Port Harcourt. According to the preliminary investigation, the suspect, Mr. Efe, is a thief and serial fraudster (yahoo), with a specialty in seducing women through dating sites. One of his schemes involves “coded runs” into hotel rooms, where he robs the victims of their phones and withdraws money from their bank accounts.
“Investigation also reveals that the suspect arrived Abuja from Lagos on September, 17, 2024 and lodged in FAB Hotel by Top Rank Hotel adjacent old Federal Secretariat, Areal 1, Abuja. “His first victim on arrival in Abuja was another lady he invited to his hotel room but could not succeed in his evil act because the lady was able to put up some resistance.
“The noise attracted hotel staff, who came to his room. He managed to escape from the scene due to the poor handling of the situation by the hotel security.
“After fleeing from FAB Hotel, he proceeded to Top View Hotel, where he checked in at around 2:30 AM on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. He then invited his latest victim, who arrived at about 9 AM.
“He threatened her, instilling fear by holding her by the throat. The frightened woman succumbed. He stripped her and bound her hands, legs, and mouth. Upon checking her phone, he discovered that she had no money in her bank account, so he took her Android phone and left the hotel room.
“It was during his attempt to escape from the hotel premises that his behavior became suspicious. When staff tried to stop him, he fled but was chased and apprehended by NSCDC operatives,” he said.
Odumosu took the opportunity to urge hotel operators to install security measures to protect their guests.
He also warned women to be cautious about the people they associate with to avoid dangerous situations.
“The command wants to use this medium to urge all hotel owners to be more vigilant. They should take additional steps to protect their guests and facilities, ensuring their premises are not used to perpetrate crime,” he said.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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