PERHAPS, going by its location in Lagos metropolis and, of course, the composition of its population, news that local tricksters popularly called 419ers have stealthily invaded Orile-Iganmu and its environs may not sound too strange to the average Lagosian.   

And because the middle and low- income group of people that make up its population basically live off the street;  and are always anxious to make it in life at the slightest opportunity,  they often fall easily to the machinations of fraudulent individuals.

It was therefore, not surprising when recently,  a 23-year-old sales girl and resident of the community, adjudged the third most populous community in Lagos state, Miss Florence Ekwalor; who had been praying fervently for a breakthrough in her business, met with this group of ‘God sent helpers’ that incidentally turned out to be swindlers.

Before the Agulere, Anambra state- born senior secondary school drop-out and first product of a family of six knew what went wrong,  she had been milked of a whopping N1.5m;  being sales from her master’s wares.

Looking visibly frustrated at the Festac Police custody where her employer had kept her until she gives a vivid account of how she stole his money for an unknown business deal,  Florence recounted her ordeal.

In the beginning
As a little girl, Florence had a very poor background. She lost her mother early in life and later, she had to contend with the burden of taking care of her younger ones. She later found herself in Lagos where she got a job as a sales girl.

She was dreaming of getting aenough money to own a bisiness when she fell into the hands of the swindlers.

The snare

As a Catholic fateful, Florence woke up that ill-fated morning, quickly said her prayers and set out for work, not knowing that danger was lurking around.    At the Orile bus stop, she sighted a private car used as Taxi otherwise called Kabu- Kabu chanting Idumota, her destination on Lagos Island. She quickly hopped in and, that was the beginning of her travail.  Her story: “In that car were three passengers including the driver.

I didn’t have any premonition that my co-passengers were swindlers.   When we got close to Doyin Motor company,  before the bridge, one of them asked passively what the content of the carton in the boot of the car was and the driver quickly answered that, it contained money and that it was one Alhaji whom he had earlier picked that forgot it.   He said he was afraid of touching the money because, according to him, Alhajis normally lace their money with charms.

Another occupant answered him and said he knew a pastor somewhere in Ijora, a neighboring community also known for its notoriety, who could nullify the powers of the charms; that we should team up and do the deal together after which we shall all share the money.  At that point, the man sitting directly beside me asked if I was an Igbo girl and I answered in the affirmative.

He sighed and said thank God we can cheat the rest of the people in the vehicle out of the deal.  We started speaking in Igbo dialect and that was my undoing.  He told me God has answered our prayers and asked the kind of job I do.  I told him straightaway that I was a sales girl and he screamed good.  He asked if I have access to cash and I said I was the one keeping all the proceeds from our sales and he assured me that God has finally done it for us;  and I was so happy.

He said he was aware that the money in the carton was $4.5m and that when it is converted into naira, it would run into several millions of naira.  He further told me that if  I am able to provide the highest amount which the pastor would charge, then, it means I was sure of a share of N50,000.000.00 (fifty million naira) and my head became even bigger.

At that point, I became  more interested in the deal.  At Ijora, I discovered that the man they called Pastor was dressed like a native doctor, but I was not perturbed because all I wanted was to get the money, set-up a business of my own, and give my siblings the best education money can afford.  There, we were asked to swear to an oath of allegiance with a warning that whoever reveals whatever transpired in that small room of the pastor, would drop dead.

Each person was asked to bring N50, 000.00 and I went straight to a nearby ATM, withdrew N50,000.00 and gave it to them.  I did not ask any question because the man who spoke Igbo dialect with me was always on hand any time I wanted to ask any question.  We agreed to meet the following day and share the money.  That night, I could not sleep as I was full of expectations.

I woke up very early the following morning and went straight to the venue and, of course, they were all there.  Suddenly, the pastor came out and said the charm on the money was too powerful and that we needed some stronger anointing oil to further nullify it.  So, we agreed that we should contribute N150, 000.00 each.  But my Igbo kinsman lamented to me that he does not have that kind of money and that if I could help him, I should deduct the amount from his share immediately after sharing the big money.

I obliged him and went and took N300,000.00 from my master’s money in my custody and gave it to them.  Then we were asked to come back two days after.  That day, I went as usual and they were all there, but this time around, I noticed that everybody appeared sad.

When I inquired, the man that was always speaking Igbo with me who claimed he was from Imo state told me that some people had duped them by selling fake anointing oil and that the powers of the charm could not be nullified as the oil was fake;  and I became worried because the money I collected was not mine.

Later, some body entirely new came in and screamed that he has just received a phone call from Cotonou where we could get original anointing oil for the purpose.  He, however said that it would cost about N5million.  Again, we were to contribute  N800, 000.00 each.   I rushed to the shop, picked the money and before I could get there, I was surprised that everybody had their money already intact,  waiting for me to complete the needed amount.

I dropped mine and my supposed kinsman told me to go and thank God for what he has done for me.  I told him I would surely give testimony when the whole deal materialized.  We were then asked to come back two days after for the sharing.  That day, being Thursday, I quickly went there so that before 10.00am I would have been through since it was a day we usually do clean-up exercise and open shop for the day.

Again on getting there, I met all of them seated; but  this time, though they looked cheerful, it appeared all was not well.  Then the pastor cleared his throat and announced that we are all lucky and that the last anointing oil we bought had broken the yoke of the Alhaji’s charms adding that it was time to share the money.  We all jubilated.  He brought out six big cartons containing the money.

But when we were about sharing it, one of them said it might be risky to do such thing there suggesting that we should open a current account instead and pay the millions into it and then write a cheque for our respective account.  I bought the idea because there was no way I could have been able to carry N50 million.  Meanwhile, another clause was introduced into the game which was that, we needed N400.000.00 each to open a current account with GTB.  That was how I went back again and collected the money, gave it to them and wrote my account number”

How the bubble burst..
However, before Florence could get back to the shop, her employer had arrived and it was time for stock taking following which the theft was revealed.  Continuing Florence said,   “ That same day when I got to the shop, my master had returned and queried where I was coming from.

But, I lied that I went to the hospital.  He started reconciling account and the sales so far.  It was in the process that he discovered the fraud and I was suspended.  But I did not bother much because I knew I would soon make millions.

Three days after, I saw some plain clothed men at my boyfriend’s house who later announced that they were policemen and that I was under arrest.  That was how I was brought to Festac police station.”
Confession of the ‘catcher’

Though detectives from the Festac Division are yet to round up all the perpetrators of the fraud, one of them who actually talked Florence into the deal was arrested.  He identified himself as Onyenachi Ugochukwu and claimed he is 26-years old from Imo state.  He stated his own side of the story; “ When I was born about 26 years ago, I never thought I could go into criminality.  Although I lost my parents at an early stage, I decided to struggle for myself.

Through self help, I entered Jubilee Community Grammar school Owo, in Ondo state.  When things became hard, I left Ondo state for Lagos where I enrolled at New estate high school, Palm Avenue Mushin in 2003.  In between time, I was doing all kinds of menial jobs to survive.

I even saved up to N60,000.00 with the hope that I could enter Owo Polythenics if I can’t secure admission into any university because as somebody who was born in Ondo State, I know a few people that could help me.  But one day I ran  into fraudsters and I quickly rushed to clear my savings and gave it to them.  It was in the process of looking for them at Idi-Araba that I met another guy who told me to forget the money and join them.”

Quest for forgiveness
Onyenachi Ugochukwu who operates with fake names like; Akinoye Akinwale etc, said he was very sorry for Florence for falling into their trap.  “I feel very sad for Florence because I was the one that tricked her into the whole mess. I am a good Christian and I pay my tithe regularly.  But I have to survive. Each time Florence brings money, I feel for her because what we normally show her as our own part of the deal was not real money.  They are fake notes photocopied for the purpose.