4 suspected Yahoo boys alleged die of ‘drug overdose’ while celebrating financial breakthrough

No fewer than four suspected internet fraudsters popularly known as Yahoo Boys were on Friday reported dead after an overdose of strange illicit drugs along the Nasco Egei Road of Biogbolo community in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Confirming the incident, the Bayelsa State Police Command said it happened at about midnight on Friday, after the intake of two pills in celebration of a mysterious financial breakthrough by the deceased.

It was gathered that they died in the home rented by one of them known as Favour.

One Melvin, who claimed to be a friend to one of the deceased, spoke with journalists while they were trying to secure the release of the corpse of one of the victims, Favour, a 19-year-old indigene of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

“We believe that they were poisoned,” he claimed without any further explanation.

According to Melvin: “We are here at Ekeki Police Station in the company of Favour’s father to secure the release of the corpse for burial, but it is proving difficult after swearing to an affidavit. We gathered that they ate food they ordered and was delivered by a logistics motorbike and they died. One of them who was in the toilet, however, survived because he did not eat from the meal.”

Another friend of the boys, who pleaded anonymity, claimed: “The deceased were much awake when we forced the security man to open the gate to their residence. Nelson (one of the deceased) was sitting on the chair but his head was on the ground with his vomit. Richie (another deceased) had his computer tab, in his hand and Yazz…was struggling. It clearly showed that they were poisoned.”

Contacted on the development, Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Benjamin Okolo, confirmed the death of the four youths and attributed the death to a drug overdose.

“They died of a drug overdose. It is quite unfortunate that they administered the drug themselves. They were five and the one that survived told us that they took two pills each and that he took one. This was why they died.”

The Police Commissioner however assured that if the friends and family of the deceased insisted that they were poisoned, “the police will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”