Gehgeh warns former 'Yahoo boys': Money dried up, learn skills before you lose everything
Nigerian financial commentator Gehgeh warns former internet fraudsters—dubbed "Oldtakers"—that their illegal income has collapsed and they need legitimate skills before financial pressure destroys them. In a video published today, he says young men who once built houses and bought cars through fraud are now struggling, with three or four in his community suffering mental breakdowns after the money stopped.
The pressure to maintain unaffordable lifestyles drives some to drugs, Gehgeh says. He urges men aged 19-30 who previously relied on "Yahoo" to start over: "You never fail for life."
This isn't just about crime—it's about what happens when easy money vanishes and you've neglected real skills. The mental health toll is real, and the lifestyle trap is harder to escape than the fraud itself.
If you know someone stuck in this cycle, or you're a young person weighing the path: what legitimate skill could you build this month that pays for life?