Scores of traders at Lafenwa market, Abeokuta have lost their life-saving money to fraudsters who disguised as distributors of foodstuffs and other commodities.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the organised Fraudsters stormed the market with DIsc Jockey and rented a shop for one year .
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that the fraudsters sold a dummy to the traders that they were engaging in a family support for widows and the poor.
Some victims lamented that they obtained a loan from the popular loan shark to pay for the goods from the fraudsters .
One of the victims who simply identified herself as Mojisola said she lost N220,000 to the scam .
Mojisola explained that she was captivated by the ways people gathered in the market during the display of goods by the scammers with blasting of good music by the DJ.
She said ” I was passing by on that night and we saw some people gathering and watching a show, called family care .
“They reduced the prices of food stuffs such as Indomie,rice, groundnut oil and other edible things as well as school bags .
“People were asked to pay first and collect the goods five days later.
“I lost N220,000 to the scammers. I paid in cash while others transferred the money .
“They claimed that they came from Maya in Oyo state but we met them at Lafenwa market . They even had a shop in the market . They showed us the shop in the market .
“Their shop was in the shopping complex beside the road at the market .
“When we went for our goods, we did not see them again and we went to the Iyaloja and she said she did not know them .
“These fraudsters had asked us to come back for our goods on July 20 and when we got to the market on that day, we did not see them again and when we tried the number they gave us, it was not going through. “
When asked if she can recognize them, Mojisola said ” yes I can recognize them if I see them.”
On the number of traders affected, Mojisola said ” many people were involved .With the calculation I made from my end, N1. 4m was involved.
“Please help us locate them, the money was borrowed.”
The caretaker in the market who gave the shop to the fraudsters, David Martins, said he was among the victims .
He said the gang rented a shop from him for one year with the claim that they would be selling provisions and other foodstuffs .
He said “the people rented a shop from me. They paid for one year rent claiming to be selling provision and also claimed to be doing a family support programme .
They said the programme was meant to help the poor and widows.
“We gave them money in the first instance and got our goods . The second time, we did business with them buying rice, Indomie , and groundnut oil, it was successful.
“The third time, I even helped them to publicise it and gathered more money but, when we went for our goods, they were nowhere to be found .
“They spent just two months in this year. They rented the shop from me as the caretaker. They paid for one year .
“They sold a 5kg bag of semo for N2, 000, a bag of rice N24,000, half a bag for N12, 000. I collected money from people to buy a lot of stuff.
“The first and second times that we did business with them were successful but, the third time , they disappeared with our money .
On the method of the business, Martins said “when we give them money, they will give us a date to come back for our goods at reduced prices. They claimed they were subsidising the goods .
“We were given July 20 and it coincided with environmental day on Thursday . We waited till 1:pm,but we could not see them .
I collected money from seven people . I gave them N85, 000 for the goods .
They wrote a family support programme on the shirt and ticket, they came with a DJ, blasting music, they gave us T-shirts and we danced,not knowing they were scammers .
“On average, the affected traders were many. In fact, the DJ encouraged people with his music as people were seen taking the goods and dancing .
Asked if the gang has a business name, Martins said “Athey wrote Funola marketing ventures . There is a lady named Iya Pelumi . Her picture was taken .
“We came to cry out so that other people will not fall victim to these people. “
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