Music has, over ages, proven to be a powerful tool for social crusade and musicians have been known to be among the most effective social thought leaders. If there is an idea that music has failed to propagate, one may safely conclude that such is an idea that will never be propagated. This will explain why companies usually pick musicians as brand ambassadors to promote their products. An endorsement by a musician could translate into an instant boost in sales of products.
Such is the influence that music and musicians wield and which is why musicians are often admonished to be careful about the ideas that they promote. Before now, the theme of love, hard work and good neighbourliness are a common thematic preoccupation in the works of Nigerian musicians. Nowadays, however, illicit sex, fraud, illegitimate, instant wealth and cybercrime have taken the centre stage. As their influence is spreading like wildfire, the musicians are making disciples of many impressionable young people and indoctrinating them into a life of crime and easy virtue.
Such is the case of 16-year-old Gabriel Michael, who was arrested by the Gombe State Police Command for cyber fraud.
Michael, who was paraded on Tuesday by the police, told one of our correspondents that he took to cybercrime from watching up-and-coming Nigerian musician, Naira Marley, on the screen. Read more