Entertainers who use their crafts to encourage crime should be dealt with- Ali Baba

Veteran ace comedian, Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, aka Ali Baba, has
asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to go after
any entertainer who  uses his or her work of art to encourage internet
fraud popularly known as yahoo-yahoo.

Alibaba made the call when he spoke in an interview with
EFCC. According to him, using the work of arts; either music, plays,
books, films, comedy or any other forms of creative art to encourage
cybercrime or economic crimes, is also a crime itself, adding that the
EFCC, should go hard on any member of the Performing Musicians
Association of Nigeria, Nollywood group or their counterparts in the
comedy industry who do so.

He said for entertainers to use their work of arts to try to justify
crime and criminality would be tantamount to breaking two rules, by
taking advantage of their creativity, which gave them popularity to
encourage crime and that one is an entertainer doesn’t make him above
the law adding that any entertainer who is found wanting should be dealt
with to discourage others.

He added that EFCC should have social media monitors to keep track of
fraudsters by going online to look for search for them and smoke them
out, so that they don’t influence young minds, who may think that what
they see on social media are ways of life.

The veteran Comedian observed that most entertainers in the industry
are not telling the true stories behind their so-called fortune.

‘’I see a lot of entertainers who show off on social media of their
expensive lifestyles. I will be like, ‘how many events has this comedian
organised or anchored that gave him this kind of money that he his
flaunting. You see them with packs of dollars with the caption ‘all we
do is to spend money’, anyone who works legitimately won’t do that”, he
stated.

Ali Baba counseled entertainers to show example by trying to make
sure that their content discourages the act of criminality and internet
fraud.

He enjoined the Commission to help in the fight against piracy, which
he said is killing creativity of the entertainers and robbing them of
their wealth adding that the EFCC should have Film Series that teaches
the general public that internet crime doesn’t pay.

According to him, the content should be educative, entertaining and
engaging, and that the campaign should be taken down to homes, schools
and religious houses and should be aired on media stations throughout
the country.