₦airaland Forum

zogo:
am a final yr student of political science, am really contemplating of join the Nigerian police force, whats ur advise/sugestion? are there oportunities for me in the police force?
plz if u're informed about the police force, please inform me. tenx

Not a bad career move if you dont mind the ever present smell of dry human waste that will envelop your work place for the most part of your career.

tpia:
are you a white English man?

Dont mind the loser. He is a punter using race as a bargaining chip.Hard to blame him. What else do you do when u have nothing. He has to be the lowest of the low.

Nigerian scammers now aided by a better grip of cyber technology have taken their art to a whole new level.I was looking through today's Guardian and I happened on a similarly titled article by Ruben Abati, the object of a cleverly woven scam. Note that social networking sites like this is a heaven for scammers.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/editorial_opinion/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=090109&ptitle=The%20scam%20that%20failed

I have always read stories about different kinds of scams that Nigerians have turned into an emergent symbol of the Nigerian national character much to the dismay and discomfiture of the more decent and civilized majority. Professor Pat Utomi's name was once used by some people to solicit for funds. I was one of the concerned friends who quickly drew his attention to the scam. The Punch website was also once hacked into.

The newspaper had to quickly alert its readers. When a story was put out on President Yar'Adua's alleged resignation from office, through the News Agency of Nigeria's official e-mail, it was an astonished nation that was told that this was the handiwork of Naughty Boys. The scammers caused so much furore and discomfort. Yesterday, it happened to me too. This is clearly a case of knowing where the shoe pinches only when you wear it. It is not funny at all.

When fraudsters try to tarnish your image, cause you undeserved distress and malign you, you are forced to wonder why Nigerians are so cruel. There is so much cruelty in the hearts and hands of many of our compatriots. Too many sadists in this land. I was on my way to the office when my phone began to ring. The caller had stated clearly that she suspected that some people had hacked into my e-mail. I kept asking her: are you sure? How? It turned out that she had received an e-mail asking her to contribute a sum of N250, 000 to help save Reuben Abati's daughter. It is pointless paraphrasing this e-mail that went round to nearly all my contacts yesterday morning. Titled "Emmergency" (sic), it is reproduced as follows unedited:

Hello,

This is an emergency , i seriously consider you to help me with sum of 250,000 Naira which i will pay immediately i get back, i am on a Conference in India , I will be back on the 15th of January 2009. My Daughter is seriously in need of medical attention after he was involved in an accident in Lagos , she is now at a private hospital waiting for medical solution and she has been asked to make payment the same above amount before further medical treatment will be continue,

i don't want to loss her. Hope to hear a positive news from you . I

don't want other to know about this, do keep it to yourself, all i need at

the moment is 250,000 as a loan for her medical deposit so that the Doctor can save her life, i can not send money from where i am now.

I am very confused and desperate and i don't seem to understand why this thing is happening to me, i promise to refund you your money immediately i get back home .Please kindly contact the doctor via email

dr.ojolowoonline@googlemail.com or call 070411505005 to know who and where to send the money. I am trusting you that you will do the needful immediately

Regards

Mr Reuben Abati

The first phone call that I received was followed by an endless stream of calls. I practically couldn't do much yesterday other than explaining to people that "i am not on a Conference in India", and that my daughter is not involved in any accident, so she is not in need of a "medical solution." Yes, I don't want to "loss" my daughter, but I am not by God's grace in any "confused or desperate" situation. Concerned friends who immediately saw through the scam reported to me later that they told the scammer to go to hell. They had great fun condemning the grammatical howlers in the solicitous mail.

One very nice guy sent a mail later in the day telling me that he was sure I lack the capacity to write such pathetic prose that flowed from the pen of "Mr Reuben Abati". Thank you sir. But some other friends decided to take on the fellow. They called Dr Ojolowo's line, only to hear some muffled sounds in the background: a kind of indistinct "hello; listening". Others sent mails to Dr Ojolowo expressing concern and offering to help. Such persons were given a bank account number, with a name and address. Dr Ojolowo. What a name! Translated, it means money is like rainfall.

The full name in Yoruba is actually: "Ojolowo ko mo enikan" (Money is like rainfall, it can fall on anyone). Dr Ojolowo and his accomplices wanted a Naira Rain using my name and expressing negative thoughts about my daughter. They wanted a rain of foreign currency too. Their e-mail traveled as far as Senegal, Canada, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, South Africa, indeed all over the world. In an age of technology, the new media of the internet has closed all spaces, and so much good or evil can be transported worldwide within an instant.

I was lucky I got to know about the scam early. So I was told. Friends later regaled me with stories about how others have had either their mobile phones or e-mails compromised. One old man sent N800, 000 to an account when he received a text message telling him that his son had been involved in an accident and money was needed urgently to save his life. There was nothing wrong with his son. Mobile phones and e-mails are used in other parts of the world in a constructive and positive manner. A growing population of Nigerians has turned these into tools of crime and abuse.

We continue to argue about how increased penetration of telephony and the computer could help raise literacy and communication standards in Africa. But the Nigerian is busy in front of the computer using it to naughtyrize into people's mails and bank accounts. Yes, such things happen in other parts of the world too, but the growth of cyber crime in Nigeria is frightening. It is even more so as there isn't in place a proper legal framework yet, or technology, for tracking and dealing with cybercrime in Nigeria. The only "medical solution" that we all need is to beware of the fraudsters in our midst. They cause us so much heartache. They destroy the image of our country. They draw attention to the failure of values in our society. We must render their trade unprofitable by becoming vigilant. Individuals yes. But corporate establishments also, especially banks which may become special targets soon.

I wanted to access my e-mail to assess the extent of damage. Doing so was difficult. The mail box kept telling me that my password was wrong. I eventually managed to access the mailbox after admitting that I had problems with my password. I followed the yahoo prompts. The Naughty Boys had tried to clean up their act a bit. Although their mail was sent to virtually everyone in my mail list, I met only about five of such mails in the sent folder. Further checks revealed an alert from Yahoo indicating that my password was changed at 7. 04 am on January 8, 2009.

I also later discovered that a special bank account was opened around 10 am, the same day, specially for the exercise? And the criminals went to work on my friends and associates soon after. But who knows how many account numbers they actually opened for the purpose. And how many banks they used. And whether anyone has sent money into those accounts believing that I was truly in need. I didn't realize I was so marketable until yesterday. Those guys wanted to turn my name into a cash cow. The idiots. They can't even compose a successful paragraph in English. They can't even spell e-m-e-r-g-e-n-c-y.

But I confess I was rattled. I was shivering, panicking, and trying all possible means to stop people from parting with their hard-earned money. I ended up with instant diarrhea. My cousin, Tunji, who was with me when the news broke had to stay with me for the better part of the day. He left only when he was sure I had calmed down a bit. To survive in Nigeria obviously requires super-human skills and effort. The Naughty Boys had suggested that I wanted a loan. They were going to borrow money in my name from thousands of people. And they used my exact e-mail. The message was sent from my box not a look-alike. There is nothing I hate like taking a loan. My wife thinks that there is nothing wrong with it. But whenever I got persuaded to take a loan to sort out anything, I would immediately lapse into a prolonged bout of insomnia. So, the word "loan" is not a very important word in my private dictionary.

The sad end of this story is that some friends took the scam mail seriously. One of them wrote saying he is "deeply sorry about this matter". He volunteered to "source funds from his friends in high places." Please don't. But the happy side of it all, I guess, is nipping the scam in the bud before much damage was done. My daughter and I also received so many prayers from well-wishers and family relations. "God will forbid any such thing as a motor accident in your life." "God will protect you and your family". "God is on your side, my brother." That God was brought into the matter should not be surprising. God must have heard the name Reuben Abati so many times yesterday, He must have wondered: who is this fellow?

I claim all the good wishes with gratitude. In the nature of things, all the positive thoughts flowing from those illumined souls who responded to the suggestions of the evil-doers, with prayers, had cancelled out the negative thoughts in the scam mail. In the presence of light, darkness melts into nothingness. Tonight, when voices become echoes, I shall pray for those scammers,  And for our leaders that God will touch their hearts so that we can avoid the conditions that have created this army of scammers: Yahoo Yahoo boys and girls.

I think the real villain in all this is the 'man' shagging a married woman with a borrowed kidney. They should unmask him.He has to be the lowest of the low.

oyb:
to make matters worse at some point, my wife lost her gold anklet

You must have a really cute wife bro. Lucky devil.

The convict is obviously a Nigerian holding (most likely illegally) a Ghanaian passport. I suspect Ghanaians would like to have their own pound of flesh for this international embarrassment.

[quote author=B.O.S.S. link=topic=215159.msg3308542#msg3308542 date=1231233364]Really? Can you define comfort? Most of your argument seems baseless because these are just petty things you're mentioning. It's quite true that there's no place like home and yes I love Nigeria despite its ills but come on man,  we all know the givernment is a fraud except you're one of the clan. Where do you want us to start from about what's bad about Nigeria?

It's not all doom and gloom but hey you surely know that Nigeria as a country is not up to scratch not even up to a 50% functionality. Funny enough, we might all agree that other countries has it's cons as well but it annoys me that we could list a full page of what's unique to Nigeria (negatively) and with other countries not having the same issues.[/quote]You have spoken but not like a real boss. My view wasnt meant to be an argument but a first-impression response to thread title. Yes the government has failed its citizens in many ways and no I am not in government.You can say to hell with the govt work hard and make a heaven of your immediate environment.Then, even you can be a true boss in your own country.

Nonsense. Nigeria is the place to be. Especially if you have an extreme personality like me where the threat of jail is an ever present reality. Europeans and Americans have way too many laws. Lets look at their traffic norms for example-you drive too fast or too slow, you go to jail. You didnt quite park well.Your music is too loud.Just about anything constitute sexual harrassment. You can go on and on and on.

In Nigeria even if you genuinely breech the law (so far you no kill person) you can always reach some kind of understanding with the law. You guys dont get me wrong now.The law is there to be obeyed but there is ample freedom too.In america you do one small thing it hangs on your neck for the rest of your life at the push of a button.

How can you, knowing this hate Nigeria.Like Europe and America if you work hard enough in Nigeria, you will be comfortable.Abi?

@Topic
Yeah. Our king orgre has seen to it. You can ignore him to your own peril.

I have dated a few older gurls myself and yes they can have that effect on you.But a 24yr old crying to marry you 30yr old? I beg the story is not complete or there is a certain angle to it.Keep your eyes open to know what it is. And when you find it out, if its ok by you, go ahead.

@OP
Still dont get it.Your willy dropped because she is a LovePeddler or because she asked for money? If its the money, it means same thing can happen when your babe or wifey asks for money before sex.

Anyway, you eventually get used to these things whether money dey or e not dey.

To be sure I don't like jews as individuals. They are hopelessly and mindlessly racist. I have a friend who spent a few years in various cities in Israel. He had a lot to say about jewish people using numerous examples of situations and circumstances.This belief was further reinforced by my interaction with them the few times I have been in the UK.I mean these are people who owe their very existence to humanitarian goodwill. Infact I have no qualms about spitting in their face.My views about the current crises is entirely objective.The palestinians will not get a state if they continue to cede their struggle to murderous islamists who have no sympathy in a civilized world.

Ibime:
Europe should simply take the Jews back and stop dumping their problem on the Middle-East. . . . all this population shift, na wa.

You have to see the jewish sojourn in europe as a necessary divinely ordered step in order for them to repossess their land.It has mightily enabled and enobled them. They are now in a position to bring death to death mongers, sow confusion in their midst and repossess their land.I am waiting for Hizbollah to show compassion and come into the fray.

pak:
our 'area boys' are cowards beside these guys o, 'don't think it'

these almajiri guys are insane animals.

though area boys' brains have been befuddled by too much igbo but at least they still got brains

these nothern 'muturus' have none at all.


Hope you never get to experience an ethno-religous crisis in the north as I did in Jos

Na your talk be that. A hundred almajiris chanting allahu akbar is not like one almajiri surrounded by 10 igbo hardened omo eko inside kirikiri maximium. Make e sing am now.

@Olabowale
I see you are so passionate about the hatred you have for the jews.You could always volunteer for martyrdom operation with your brethren.You have a considerable numerical advantage afterall.It just might succeed. Remember it worked against the Russians in Afghanistan.

But you must not try this at home when there is a religious strife. Chances are that you will be slaughtered by your own brethren because as a yoruba moslem you are not considered quite holy enough.This is not a hypothesis. It is a fact that was again proven recently in Jos.

earTHMama:
Why flood lagos with terrorists?. They should be sent to Jigawa instead to await trial, abeg.

Surely our area boys behind the wall will have a thing or two to teach the cowards about being a terrorist

They should be sent to Lagos prisons to await trial

Nemeziz9ja:
[color=#990000][/color]
The sad irony of life is that while most of you have the privilege of getting an entry visa to the UK and hence an opportunity to experiencing another dimension of life outside the box and vicious cycle called Nigeria, the British High Commission in Nigeria has turned the visa application process to One Big Money Spinner; no thanks to our ignorance and perception of a made up paradise without effort.
However, the sad reality is that these guys that sit in one room; faceless and cannot be questioned already have a pre-conceived notion that Nigerians should not visit the UK; either for genuine purposes or not and when you really deserve it, why don't you pay Charles Mum twice in the process.
If you have ever been burnt by the UK visa refusal that is purely a foolhardy or malicious in nature, please JOIN me in calling on all Nigerians to BOYCOTT the UK Visa for one month starting from January 20, 2009 and lets see if they will not have a major loss,
You can scan the refusal reason page (no personal details please!!! and its usually the 2nd page) and post here for the world to see the subtle greediness of the cheesy Briton.

Personally I would request that you rephrase the above highlighted before I decide whether to join in or not

RichyBlacK:
[/b] There is no difference between what Hamas is fighting for today and what the ANC fought for yesterday!

I am shocked even horrified reading sth like this on a Nigerian website. The analogy is flawed in premise and in context. It is also an insult to the revered hero of that struggle-Nelson Mandela.Infact if the ANC had used the same primitive murderous tactic the world opinion would have been heavily against them and the freedom they enjoy now would have eluded them for another 100 years.

Israel holds itself to a far higher level of morality in dealing with terrorists than most western nations not to talk of apertheid SA.Death penalty remains outlawed.Israel is prepared to have a 2-state solution, but Hamas wants them to pack up and leave. Israel has made painful concession of lands worn with sweat and blood over coffee table when it has the means to annexe all Arab states and enforce peace under its own terms.

Islamic radicalism and terrorism is in its final throes of death.I hope their brothers here will have a thing or two to learn

Tornadoz:
In front of you is whats called a keyboard, next to it is what's called a monitor. Combine the two and you'd be surprised at the information available to you. To get you started am volunteering this info. Hamas does not or has not assumed leadership of any state.
As Afam would say>> Enjoy!

quote author=Tornadoz link=topic=212228.msg3280306#msg3280306 date=1230546723]

If you are a teacher I am afraid my friend you have chosen the wrong student for several reasons.

Anyway, to whom do the palestinians pay taxes? Who is responsible for their police and civil service? Is it Mahmud Abass who dares not venture into Gaza for fear of his life. Who runs their prisons and judiciary.Who did they vote for?

When people irresponsibly promote anarchy by supporting terrorism and islamic radicalism they fail to realize that if the world degenerate into complete anarchy, they and their cause will be the first to be consumed.
Enjoy.

@Topic
Israel has no choice but to be decisive in its current campaign so that it will serve as a lesson to organizations such as Hizbollah.Modern terrorist groups survive because they are leeches and parasites. They hide behind human shield to parpetrate terror. Fortunately for them the world in the last 100yrs has been elevated to a higher level of morality which in turn has fashioned warfare engagement rules and how to deal with your enemies that would have alarmed Crusaders.

The protection these terrorists have is removed automatically when they assume leadership of a state. Hamas has no right to head any state. Ultimately it is the call of the palestinian people. I hope Lebanese are watching because if they make the same blunder, a bigger catastrophe awaits them.

In the meantime, let everyone pray for the state of Israel as it confronts another challenge to its existence.

It is no exaggeration to say that Yaradua is president for North Nigeria. You can clearly tell in all his appointments and promotions in and out of the military. Yaradul and his people are determined to correct the ills of Obasanjo who dared to bring commonsense and regional sensitivity into appointments and promotions. They would rather things remain the way they have been since the military era when his brothers in uniform dominated the affairs of state. You will notice that whenever there is a percieved dominance by southerners in areas (even) where they lack competence they are quick to invoke quota system.

@Topic
Sad but not entirely unexpected.That this issue will generate 7 pages in 24hrs says a lot about how we feel about Nuhu Ribadu - love him or hate him.

The Ribadu story is another example of a failure of Government.Albeit of a different kind.

We Nigerians are used to having leaders who are authoritarian and tyrannical. Here we have one who is aloof, compromised by ill health and therefore has little or no control of Government which has since been hijacked by a man called Aondoakaa.

This man makes no effort to hide the fact that he is in Govt to further the interest of Governors he took huge sums to defend as a private legal practitioner.These governors were the ones Ribadu had the effrontery to go after as EFCC boss.

It was the same Aondoakaa flying the kite of Nigerian sovereignty and using state funds shamelessly prevented evidence that could have been used to prosecute and convict a corrupt governor in London. To him its a victory but to all reasonable men, a scandal of unimaginable proportion

This govt will be remembered as Yaradua-Aondoakaa govt.Pathetic.

KarmaMod:
So i was right when I said you were in the wrong thread.

Good to know.

Yes I am in the wrong thread. And you are in sayne.