Before diving into Ebuka Njoku’s Yahoo+, it is important to understand the meaning of Yahoo Plus in the Nigerian context. Since the 1990s, there have been a tremendous number of scams where Yahoo Messenger has been used by the scammers to find their targets. It started as lottery scams, and it gradually shifted to love scams. Since 2010, a rather sinister black magic scam has become popular. The scammers are known as the Yahoo Plus boys, and there is an entire organized network that executes the scam. The Yahoo Plus scam involves human sacrifice, where the targets are promised wealth in exchange for their offering. The scam has led to increased kidnapping cases in Nigeria, and the human harvest business is also on the rise as a result. Ebuka Njoku’s Yahoo+ is centered around two young men desperate to make money. The struggle to make it big in life was a lot to deal with, and they decided to seek help from Yahoo Plus and become a part of the illegal business for easy cash.
Spoilers Alert
‘Yahoo+’ Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?
Two best friends, Ose and Abacha, wanted to become a part of Nollywood, but even after hustling for three years, they barely had any projects at hand. They were desperate to leave the country and make money abroad, but instead of relying on their talent, they decided to follow the guidance of the Yahoo Plus men. While Ose was completely convinced of the method, Abacha was a little hesitant. He did not believe that poverty could be erased as easily or that a ritual could make them an overnight success. Ose believed that the connection they had made with the men would help them get into the booming business. All they needed were two women who would willingly stay the night at their place.
Pino Pino, a local sex worker Ose was in contact with, agreed to spend the night with them, but unfortunately, the woman she planned to bring along backed out at the last minute. Pino Pino desperately searched for sex workers, and strangely enough, it was the class topper who agreed to accompany her that night. She needed money, and as a student, she realized she barely had options at hand. Even though she was confident that she would regret this decision all her life, she could not think of an alternative. Pino Pino was relieved, and she agreed to all of Kamso’s terms. Upon reaching the apartment, Ose welcomed the girls, and they were offered palm wine. As soon as Abacha entered the room, he dropped the drinks on the floor. Kamso was Abacha’s girlfriend, and he never expected such a coincidence to ever occur. Since Abacha was jobless, Kamso supported him financially. She struggled to provide financial help and resorted to prostitution to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Abacha was planning a ritual sacrifice to get money and live a fulfilling life with Kamso. But as luck would have it, he had to now choose between love and success. Will Abacha choose to sacrifice Kamso, or will he protect her?
Did Abacha Help Kamso?
Abacha somehow convinced himself that even though he intended to sacrifice strangers, he was at least loyal to Kamso. He was regretful when he realized that Kamso had agreed to sleep with another man to help him financially. He blamed Ose for coming up with the entire plan, but he was also aware that there was no way out of it. Mansa, the head of the operation, was a ruthless man who would destroy them if they failed to obey him. Mansa threatened to murder Abacha’s family if he chose not to execute the plan. There was no turning back for Abacha, and he spiked Kamso’s drink to get her unconscious.
Abacha confided in Kamso about the drug he had mixed in her drink before she lost her senses. Kamso pretended to be unconscious and pushed Abacha aside when he came near her. She ran to the kitchen and stuffed her face with caffeine. Kamso knocked Ose out when he broke into the kitchen and was ready to deal with Abacha as well, but her emotions got the better of her. Abacha begged her to spare him, and he continued to blame Ose for the entire arrangement. He wanted her to believe that he was not on board and wanted to step back, but Ose made it impossible for him. He explained that Ose’s contact in Hong Kong promised to help them move abroad if they sacrificed two bodies, on which one of the plus guys would conduct a ritual. He further added that the house belonged to Mansa (the chairman of the organization) and was used to perform Yahoo Plus rituals.
After the confession, Abacha and Kamso got together and tried to wake Pino Pino up from sleep. She had no idea what was going on, and by the time she came to her senses, Ose had pointed his gun at them. He instructed Abacha to tie down the women and himself. Ose was tired of trying to make ends meet in Nigeria. He was confident that once he moved abroad, his life would get better. He wanted to own luxurious items and live a grand life, and he was ready to sacrifice as many bodies as needed to make that his reality.
‘Yahoo+’ Ending Explained: Was The Ritual Successful?
Ose soon received a call from Ikolo, the native doctor who was supposed to perform the ritual. Ose was a little surprised to see a medical doctor park his car; it was all the more strange that he brought along coolers and ice. He could not help but wonder how it would all be used in the ritual, but Ikolo was a man of few words who believed Ose must experience it before asking questions. As they entered the house, Pino Pino attacked Ose, but Ikolo injected a drug that instantly knocked her out. Ose explained the entire situation to Ikolo, and he was afraid that Abacha was not cut out for the job. This was just the beginning of their sinister lives, and since Abacha had already shown weakness, Ikolo did not feel confident about him. They decided to make Abacha watch the entire ritual to get used to the idea. Ikolo explained the importance of trust in their line of work. While he could trust Ose, he did not feel the same way about Abacha. Ose begged for his friend’s life and tried to convince Ikolo that Abacha could see the job through. Ikolo repeatedly reminded Ose that the line of work they were getting into would require them to participate in worse crimes and remain silent if the police got hold of them.
During what was called the “ritual,” Ose realized that it was simply a code for organ removal and that Ikolo was actually a medical doctor. Pino Pino’s body was cut open, and her organs were kept in the cooler Ikolo brought. He explained that it was organ harvesting that made them rich, not the money ritual. They needed the two bodies not for ritualistic sacrifice but for organ harvesting, which would fund their trip to Hong Kong, where they would start working in the scam business. Many Yahoo men chose not to reveal the truth, and the clients were made to believe that the bodies they were sacrificing were used for a money ritual that would eventually make them rich; it was sort of a double scam. He believed Nigerians preferred juju over crude reality. Ose was ready to become a Yahoo man or even work for the drug mafia; as long as he became rich, he was happy. After dealing with Pino Pino, Abacha was asked to drug Kamso, but instead of actually injecting her, he pretended to do so. Soon, Abacha got hold of a gun lying on the table and shot Ikolo dead. Even though Ose was extremely disappointed in Abacha, he agreed to let him and Kamso leave.
At the end of Yahoo+, Ose called and confessed everything to Mansa, and as expected, he was quite disappointed by the entire turn of events. Ikolo was Mansa’s business partner, and losing him meant losing millions. He wanted Ose to prove his loyalty to him by killing Abacha and Kamso. Ose did not wish for any harm to fall upon Abacha’s family, and he requested that Mansa spare their lives. When Mansa agreed to his request, he went on to execute Abacha and Kamso. He shot the lovers and called his boss, who was impressed by his willingness to become a part of the underworld. His sacrifice led to an instant promotion, and Ose felt proud of the decision he made.
Unexpectedly, Abacha survived the gunshot and murdered Ose. He managed to leave the house and get into his car. Before leaving, he called his relative, whose husband’s brother was in the military, and asked for assistance. On that one night, he lost his best friend and his lover. He realized the true story behind becoming rich at a young age, and he decided he was better off the way he was. We do not know if Abacha will survive the bullet injury, and even if he does, Mansa will not spare him. Perhaps the military connection will be useful, and his knowledge about the entire operation could help in busting the scam business.
Yahoo+ brings forth the desperation of the Nigerian youth to earn quick money. With their families relying on them for financial support, the youth often seek questionable options to make ends meet. Envious men such as Ose are ready to go to any extent to live a life of luxury. From the desperation of the Nigerian youth to the infamous Yahoo scam and organ harvest, Yahoo+ tries to bring it all together in a low-budget production.
