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Jan. 22, 2007 Advance Fee Fraud, '419', exists as a crime in the Nigerian criminal penal code. The name '419' was of course lifted from there. It is thus a crime recognised by law and punishable by laws in every nation. The origin of '419' cannot be ascertained but it has since developed into a big business involving international syndicates and networks across the world with annual estimates of billions of dollars gained and lost in different divides. '419' could be found in the Holy Bible thousands of years ago as an account was rendered therein about how a certain supplanter named Esau 'duped' his dying father and brother to obtain a crucial paternal blessings destined for Jacob. Another '419' tale could be found in the same Bible in the selling of birthright episode in which hunger and gullibility were used as baits to obtain something by false pretense. '419' knows no boundary because in all it takes two always to tango! Here in Africa although Nigerians doubtlessly take the lead in the modern technologically-spurred deals other nationalities are involved -- Camerounians, South Africans, Ghanains, Ivorians, Liberians, Gambians, Senegalese and even some Whites employed by blacks to cheat on people. '419' is viewed scornfully the world over as an odious white-collar crime that preys ruthlessly on both the young and old, rich and poor, black and white, men and women. It has no respect for age (as little boys and girls and older people rank among the victims), creed (as religion is no exception or barrier), status (some leaders, lawyers and professors had been involved as victims) or nationality (even some Nigerians dupe Nigerians). '419' has destroyed many homes and families; it has rendered many families bankrupt dispossessing many of their hard-earned money in vain pursuit of non-existent promised fortunes. Indeed many victims have had cause to commit suicide while others wallow in insane silence failing to come to terms with the '419 magic' of written and spoken romance, persuasion and conviction. On the other hand however many of these prowling merchants of greed have struck gold in life in their different locations around the world becoming rich against their wildest imaginations. In the business age or education are not factors as there are no criteria required for one to be a member of the scam profession. It is therefore an all-comers affair (with no rules or regulations) with mother luck, education, smartness and know-how as added advantages. The international club of con-men are swelling by the day. The '419'er does not believe in sentiments, his conscience is never pricked in whatever he/she does to his victims. His/her main pre-occupation is to make money out of the gullible, unwary and greedy. Money is the major objective. And every trick in the arsenal of a practitioner is deployed to woo the victim into advancing fees upfront. I had met in my church a scam sister who 'fell' in love with me because of my position in the church as the secretary of the church committee. While pretending to 'like' her I was able to pin her down and extract certain 'secret 'infos' about this profession and how it works. She explained in details to me as our 'relationship' blossomed how they use the triple method of 'FFF' to overcome even the very high and intelligent in any given society or environment. Triple 'F' means 'Find', 'Fix' and 'Finish'. But behind this odd profession there are reasons for one outside it's reach and orientation to defend it and those involved. Attempt will therefore be made here (even against the established trend of condemnation) to rise to it's defence even while recognising the fact that it is a light crime which ought to be nipped in the bud. Few weeks back in December 2006 the ABC news in America did a damaging story about the so-called 'yahoo boys' in Nigeria and how they harm economies of individuals and nations. In that sensational report laced with falsehood, stereotype and prejudice, the ABC reporter with his team who were in Lagos in the course of doing the story went the whole hog to further rubbish the already battered image of Nigeria describing Lagos as "crime-ridden disgrace of a city". This writer is against '419' (since a student friend of mine was once a victim in Benin City) but when American over-fed and racist-motivated journalists in CNN, CBS and ABC sought to exaggerate facts and mix up issues (in desperate efforts to reach unfounded conclusions) to denigrate all Nigerians in a show of generalisation of crime then one is drawn to the fray as a member of a larger Nigerian community who have been to the States and elsewhere. There is no corporate crime or '419' greater in scope, magnitude and shame than the ENRON scandal that happened in the US few year ago. The monumental corporate sleaze shocked the world and brought out the devious best in American corporate executives. There is no '419' greater than President George Bush and his security agents falsifying facts and figures to execute a regime change (with active support and participation of some friendly Western nations led by Britain) in Iraq invading a sovereign nation and toppling a constitutional authority in place. There are much greater crimes than '419' where in the Big Apple and elsewhere in American cities murder, serial killings, cannibalism, divorce, homosexuality, atheism, drug abuse and child delinquency rule urban life. Urban crimes exist in America more than any city in the Third World be it in Lagos, Jo'burg or Nairobi. There can never be a '419' comparable to the evils of colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism of the West. Sometimes I tend to think and believe that poor Africans are heeding the call for reparation by fleecing whites of their funds. The West underdeveloped Africa by the strength of colonialism dressed like liberation from darkness. When our fore-fathers and forebears were deceived and hoodwinked (with beautiful ornaments, umbrellas and mirrors and other gift items alien to them) into believing as it were that messiahs had come, that the white men were special creatures who were sent by gods to deliver them from their primitive backgrounds the Western journalists must consider it as a '419' implemented with superior wisdom and crude manipulation as the case may be today. There is no greater '419' in history than the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The global pandemic has it's roots in America in the early 80's but today Africans suffer the consequencies of it's ravage and mortal destruction. What about slavery and its unwholesome days of agony and grief? Which other '419' could be compared to this great crime against humanity? There is no '419' greater than the logistical and moral supports given by the West to brutal dictators like Mobutu Sese-Seko and Idi Amin Dada to do the unthinkable by trying to annihilate their nations and nationals through obscene conducts while in power. There is no modern '419' greater than the West smuggling and selling arms and amunitions to rebels and governments thereby fuelling wars in Africa; there is no '419' greater than the West receiving and buying blood diamonds from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote D'Ivoire thereby impoverishing the citizens of those nations. There is no greater '419' than the West encouraging and accepting looted funds (to the tune of billions of dollars) by African dictators like Sani Abacha in their banks. '419' is much lesser an evil when compared to Osama Ben Ladin and his Al Queda international terrorist network menacing the peace and stability of the world; Ben Ladin was produced and trained in America even though he is now nationless since Saudi Arabia has since denied him citizenship and nationality. We can go on and on in exposing the hypocrisy of the West, their holier-than-though attitudes. Much as one acknowleges the fact that these internet fraud agents of economic doom have left all of their victims bloodied financially and psychologically bruised advance fee fraud exists in Africa and elsewhere because the systems in the world especially Africa encourage poverty and leave no opportunity for self-actualisation. Until fairness, equity, justice and elimination of poverty are in place in the globality of the universe, until such a time when greed and gullibility of man is tamed, until such time when capitalism stop encouraging certain privileges for the rich '419' will most definitely continue to exist. And a lot of 'Mugus' will continue to tell their sorry stories of betrayal and blind trust. ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a new U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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