There are so many unfortunate people in Lagos who will do just about anything to make money. My father will always tell us his children to be wary of people because not everybody we encounter has good intentions. Lool, I never disregarded his advice but I just never ever thought I would encounter these evil perpetrators.
Last Sunday morning by a few minutes past 11, I was headed home from Mary land. Remember my turn up? I had almost gotten to the first bus stop from my girlfriend's house where I needed to board a bus when a car pulled up beside me. The driver signaled me to come around. I did.
He could be lost I thought and truly he had lost his way. On getting there, he asked me if I knew a particular orphanage. I was new there so I proceeded to let him know. I was about to move away when he spotted another man going about his business, he asked me to call him. I did. The other man was elderly. I was going to move away when the other man beckoned on me to come forward. I wasn't going to but he yelled and it seemed like he had seen a ghost. At that point, I was agitated and curious to find out what the problem was. The older man now went on to explain that the man in the car was a man of God who had a televised programme and clearly he could not contain his excitement.
It was at that point that the man in the car told me that I should be wary of what secrets I share with my friends. He also told me not to drop my hair whenever I go to the salon before adding that it would be best if myself and the man abstain from travelling anywhere more than 50km throughout the month of November. At this point, I just wanted to go home so I started walking briskly towards the bus stop. To best understand the story, let us refer to the man of God as X and the other passersby as Y.
X moved off with his vehicle after getting directions from Y. So as I was walking, Y walked up to me to say he was igbo and catholic. I told him I was also igbo and catholic and so he started speaking to me in our native language. He said, "I am confused. My father has been sick and I was planning to travel to the east to pay him a visit but you heard what the man of God said. I'm now scared. Can you follow me to meet him and ask what he meant by saying we should not travel. Maybe he can pray for me because I need to make this travel tomorrow. It is important." Having said that to me, I felt sorry for him so together, we ran towards the direction of his car while waving our hands to catch his attention. He must have checked one of his mirrors because he slowed down.
When we finally caught up with X, Y asked his question and then X asked us into his car. I sat in front while Y sat at the back. X insisted that Y must not travel that it was a trap. He now proceeded to tell us of our past. He told me my mom was late. He said my mom was killed by the forces of darkness. He said that a man and woman had blocked my womb so I can't conceive. He said that they were after me. He said he could help us but first he was going to proof that he was a man of God sent to help us. He told us to get out a pen and paper and write down our names, our ages and two things we want from God on separate sheets. He then left the car. While I was writing, the man behind me, Y, asked me to spell a word for him. I did. After about 3 minutes, X got back into the car. He told us to chew the papers and then spit it out the windows. We did. He then proceeded to tell us what we had written. He seemed to have gotten Y's because he kept exclaiming in shocked belief. Well, he got mine. He then prayed for us.
Next, X asked Y how much he was with. Y said he had 130 thousand naira out of which 30 thousand naira was for him. Y explained he was a treasurer at his village meeting and that that was where he was headed before I called him. X now asked me how much I had on me. I told him I had 1700 naira only. X now said that my enemies were monitoring my account closely that I should give him my ATM card so that he could pray for me. I told X that I didn't have my card with me. Meanwhile, it was in my handbag. At that point X told me he needed to break a yoke that has been tormenting me but that he would need an egg. Immediately he said that, Y from the back suggested that there was a market just ahead. X was going to drive us to the market when I said, "No! I can't break any yoke without consent from my family. I am sorry. I won't mind getting your number so that when my family and I are ready we can come meet you." X was slightly annoyed. Y tried to get me to change my mind while insisting in igbo that X was a foreigner and a great man of God. Finally, X blessed me and let me get down.
What really happened? Let me tell you. Those men are fraudsters. They had thought I would be an easy target because I am young. They know how much Nigerians love miracles and had thought they could get me to follow them. I started to connect the dots too late though. The man behind me must have been peeping into what I had been writing. If really X was a man of God why didn't he know I had lied about my age and my ATM card? Why did he need to pray for my ATM card? I was lucky to have left them. What if I had followed them to the market? What if they had jazzed me and then taken me to a ritual den or just abducted me? Oh! I hate to think of what might have happened.
On getting home, I talked with my family and friends and got to hear other people's experiences. I discovered a pattern and it is that pattern that prompted this post:
1. They never work alone: these fraudsters work as a unit. They are usually two people or more. They could be as many as 8 people with each person being assigned a different role. When you see like 4 people saying the same thing in a different way, you are most likely going to think that what they are saying is true.
2. They are excellent actors and actresses: each part of the unit plays their role effortlessly. The aim is mostly to get you to think that they are not related, they don't know each other and they just want their share of what is to be had. Eg: they have might lobby you into thinking they stumbled upon a box of dollars and they need a native doctor to destroy the charm placed on the box so that they can share the money. They might fight a couple of times to make you think they don't know each other and are only interested in getting their share of the money.
3. They know their target audience: they might be at a bus stop but it is not everybody they approach. They look for naive people and start spinning their tales that never end.
4. Most times they come prepared: a good number of them come readily fortified so that they can jazz you to go home and bring all your money. Most people say they know they shouldn't have but could do nothing to stop themselves from turning in their hard earned money to these fraudsters.
5. They play on your greedy nature: your first mimistake is when you listen to their story and start buying into the idea. They will entice you. They will tell you all sorts but you should walk away. However, the greed keeps you on check.
6. They can be very dangerous: don't be fooled into following them into their lairs. They mostly operate in lonely areas. If you happen to get back your senses while in such an environment, pretend to be naive. If you try to challenge them, you could lose your life.
In general, when people you don't know walk up to you, don't respond to them. Just keep walking. Some people fall under a spell as soon as they open their mouths to reply. Please be careful rebels. Remember, it is almost Christmas.
Xoxo,
The Lagos Rebel 😍
OMG!!! Babe why dint u tell me?!
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