16-year-old Michael who was paraded on Tuesday by the police, has revealed that he took to cybercrime from watching up-and-coming Nigerian musician, N
16-year-old Michael who was paraded on Tuesday by the police, has revealed that he took to cybercrime from watching up-and-coming Nigerian musician, Naira Marley, on the screen.
“I learnt hacking through tutorials on YouTube; for so many months I was at it. The lifestyle of Nigerian musician, Naira Marley, the way he spends money influenced me. Marley talks about being a Yahoo boy (cyber fraudster). My addiction to computer started at the age of seven,” Michael said.
Though the police put his age at 18, Michael, insists he is 16 years old. He said, “I’m 16 years old, from Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State. I finished from the Nationwide Academy in Gombe. I was arrested for hacking into someone’s account.”
In response to how he succeeded in hacking account, he said, “I generate software like IP protocol, Angry IP scans, linos and I use them to do the job.”
Michael, however, begged for mercy, saying, “I regret my actions. I pray to be pardoned, so that I can use my talent in other to work for them (law enforcement agency). I can channel my ideas to legal ventures but the challenge has always been that nobody encourages one to use his talent to do good things. For instance, friends will push you to do so because you are making money. My ambition is to work hard to become a member of the Department of Security Services.
Michael added that his parents did not know about his criminal activities. “I hide under the cover of my job; I’m into aluminum works. My parents did not suspect my heinous activities or lifestyle,” he said
Michael narrated how he hacked into the bank account of his victim, Deborah Tanko, from whose account he allegedly withdrew N187,000.
