Ramadan: You're fasting in vain, clerics tell election riggers, Yahoo boys

Some Islamic clerics have advised election riggers and internet fraudsters popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys to seek repentance so that their fasting can be accepted in the month of Ramadan.

The clerics, the Chief Imam of the University of Abuja, Prof. Taofik Azeez, and the Missioner, Islamic Youth League (IYL), Abeokuta, Ustadh Jubril Awwal, said this in an interview with The Punch on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

The clerics said anyone that uses diabolical means to steal people's money has committed a sin and their ill-gotten wealth can't be purified through contribution to a religious course.

According to the Abuja Chief Imam, unrepentant Yahoo Boys are wasting their time by fasting during Ramadan.

The Imam, who is also the Chief Missioner, Dawah Front of Nigeria, further said that if an internet fraudster used the proceeds of their crime to construct a mosque, it would not be accepted.

Speaking to The Punch, the cleric said: “It is a sin. They steal people’s money through diabolical means. Even, if they spend their money to build mosques, Allah is not going to accept it, because Allah is pure and is not accepting anything except what is pure.

“Yahoo boys, kidnappers are fasting in vain. They must repent and they must not return to their business after Ramadan.”

Similarly, the IYL Missioner in his remarks said elections riggers and Yahoo Boys are fasting in vain.

He said: “The month of Ramadan is to get the fear of Allah. The essence of Ramadan is to fear Allah.

“If someone has been involved in immoral acts, there is no way his fast can be accepted except he repents.”