Ego-Mbute Phenomenon and the Challenge of Insecurity in Nigeria

Abstract

The concept of money making is hardly part of the education curriculum in Nigeria. What people learn about making money is usually  from peers, parents and friends. Sometimes, they learn it through books and self-help by trial and error. Nigerian youths are among the  most daring group of individuals in the society who aspire to make money by all means as well as so quick. Activities of cult members and  ritual killers around us are pointers to the youths’ daredevil audacity without equanimity to make money; these have posed danger  to the security situation of the country. Of much concern is the rate at which cybercrime cum ritual perpetrators that are euphemistically  regarded as Yahoo-plus guys recklessly display their ill-gotten wealth to the admiration of their peers who describe them as the  happening guys in town. This study is conceptual and is underpinned by the social learning theory. It is aimed at unveiling the societal impact of the activities of desperate and daring youths who venture into nefarious activities with the sole aim of massive accumulation of  wealth popularly referred to in Igbo society as Ego-mbute. Findings revealed that ego-mbute adversely impacts both the perpetrators  and the society; it leads to the loss of lives of the perpetrators and their victims who often are used for money ritual. The study therefore  recommends that parents should inculcate in their children the need to imbibe hard work and honesty in everything they do; conferment  of titles should be on only people of integrity and honest dealings while publicly repudiating money miss road adherents.