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Grandfathers take over scam market

It is no longer news that many youths today spend their time and energy hacking the web to dupe any gullible target.

But the news from recent Saturday Sun finding is that the scam world in Lagos has been hijacked lately by old men, grandfathers, who se target can never suspect of nursing any harm.

Many of these men are not less than 60 years, and they parade themselves as responsible elders who their victim would gladly entrust their money in their hands. Their style of operation is to advertise in the newspaper that a certain property is for sale and convince their prey they would refer him to the landlord who in turn would prove with documents that the property belongs to him.

Recently, the police cracked tracked down some of these men who for years had successfully duped clients. Some of them have track record of several previous arrests and their agents who are mostly lawyers would come to bail them, while they return to the same business. Among those arrested were, Babatunde Oshinusi (62), Olushola Ajayi (58) and Dele Adebayo. Saturday Sun spoke with some of their victims who explained how they were deceived to part with millions of naira for property that don’t exist.

Ivy Nkanor, a retired civil servant lost N1m to them. Months before the journey into the hands of these men, Ivy who had received her gratuity, decided to move into a better flat. On Monday April 6, 2009, she saw an advert in The Guardian Newspaper announcing a three-bedroom flat at Ilupeju for lease and called the agent.

The agent’s numbers listed in the advert were 08096757290 and 08052834181 for Akinremi Demilade and one Wale respectively. “They actually took me to the apartment at No. 2, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju. I liked the house and took my son there for inspection. We were taken to the so-called landlord, Mr. Olukayode Abisarin with telephone No. 08023137262 at 5B, Abimbola Okunuga Cresent, Ikeja off Harold Shodipo Street on Easter Monday, April 13, 2009.

Abisarin claimed he was the owner of the property at Ilupeju and would ensure it would be completed for living on May 1, 2009. Based on the assurance, I wrote a UBA cheque of N1m in favour of Mr. Abisarin on April 13, 2009. He confirmed he cashed the money the following day.

“After the inspection, we were accosted by a well dressed man who alighted from a jeep that he was the legitimate landlord of the property. On hearing that I had plan for the flat, he advised me to lodge my complaint with the police to recover the money I paid. When the case was referred to the Commander of Area F, the man who rented the house at 5B Abimbola Okunuga, Mr. Tokunbo Olawale where I was duped was arrested. He claimed he had lived there for 13 years but had no knowledge of the dubious act with his property.”

Another victim, Lina Ohazurume, a banker saw another advert on January 10, 2009 in The Guardian Newspaper about a 3-bedroom flat in No. 1 Ramonu Street, Surulere by Moshalashi Bus stop. She alled the agent, Samson on 07090029516 and booked an appointment to meet by him at the AP station close to the house. To further convince her, she was referred to a lawyer called John with phone number No 07090029508 and 07089369034.

When they noticed she could not be convinced that the she is dealing with a genuine agent, they referred her to meet the landlord, Oshinusi,who claimed to be a pastor of Christ Deliverance Apostolic Church and Miracle Centre, 12, Oredapo Street, Shasha Akowonjo. On January 23, they visited the church and met the landlord who just stepped out of the church in suits. He directed them to enter his jeep as he intended to entertain his new tenant.

They took Lina to a restaurant, entertained her, while she issued a cheque of N1.2m which was addressed to the landlord. I had to escort him to Zenith Bank Akowonjo to cash my cheque with an international Passport bearing Oladunjoye Gbadegesin.

“On the same day, his lawyer collected N200,000 cash. On getting to the house I was told that I paid to the wrong person. The story changed that the owner of the house is an Alhaji and a lecturer with Unilag. I called back the Gbadegesin man and he ordered me to come and pick my money back. I rushed back to Zenith bank and they gave me some policemen, we reported the case at Idimu police station and from there we carried a search to the house and nobody was found. Few days after, I got a call from DPO of Idimu inviting me to come and identify the people they arrested.

I was able to identify two of them who were later taken to Panti and many of them were arrested and released. Few months after, I saw the Gbadegesin man (Oshinusi)on the road and arrested him. He spent few days in Panti and was released. Till date the other set never showed up again. Some of the properties recovered from them had already been given back to them and since then I have been going through stress trying to see how I can get him. I sold my car and borrowed to pay that amount only to be duped.”

A recent victim is a widow Mrs. Onwu who deals in industrial spare parts. She was convinced to part with N600,000 before she realized that she was duped. Few weeks before they called her, the group did a thorough investigation into the background of the woman and her family. Weeks later they sent a convoy to console her on the death of her husband who according to their investigation died just recently.

When they visited, they introduced themselves as business partners of her late husband. They gave her gifts promising to assist her should the need arise. So when she received a phone call on the January 13 from one Engineer Emma who claimed to be the H.O.D Maintenance of Port Oil Company in Port Harcourt claiming to be one of those who visited sometime last year, she wasn’t suspicious. The story was that her husband was a contractor with him and he would want her to continue with the business assist her to support her family.

Excited, she agreed to go on with the business. Engineer Emma who is in her late 50s gave Mrs. Onwu a number to contact to assist her to buy some quantity of oil pipe cork which she is to supply. The business Emma encouraged would fetch her millions of naira. “He directed me to Mr. William Oni at Ayobo power plant Iyana Ipaja New Road, Lagos who was to assist me procure the goods. Oni told me that a pack of the product would be sold for N210,000. I paid for two packs and called Emma who promised to meet me at the airport.”

Because of her lack of knowledge in the business, she never knew the cork she paid for is meant for bicycle tyres. The next day, still keeping in touch with Emma she was told to go to the international Airport to meet the person directly involved with the business. When she got to the Airport she met another fraudster who called himself, Dr. James Jonathan. The conman who was dressed in a flowing gown told her that his decision to still do business with her was because her husband performed very well. “I met Dr. Jonathan at the arrival point of the international airport and he took the sample I brought. He took me to a fast food joint where he ordered me to eat whatever I wanted while he inspects the sample product.

After some fiddling on his computer, he said that it was perfect but that he would need four more packs to be able to pay for the supply. Hoping that they were real, I rushed to the bank, withdrew some money and went back to the warehouse to collect about 6 cartons of the product. They kept on demanding till I had sunk about N600,000. My eyes opened when they kept on demanding for more money without coming to see me again.”

Oshinusi who lives at No. 11 Akorohunfayo street, Fadeyi, Yaba, and has been in the business for two years told Saturday Sun that their age is a capital in the game as the victims never suspect they could be dupes especially with the respect Nigerians have for elders and conceive them as people who would not involve in dubious acts.

He revealed that part of the deal is to hire posh cars and well furnished apartments where they would take their victim. He said: “Because we are not greedy, we spend much on entertainment just to convince our target. We hire clothes and settle the gateman of the property who will ensure that we have unhindered access.”

According to Dele, the adverts are made based on what the landlords who came to their office gave them. “Sometimes, they would come with various addresses and hoping that he is right, we would advertise on their behalf. In other cases we would find an incomplete building and take the number to advertise in the paper. When prospective buyers come, we offer to sell the property very cheap. We later send some of our boys on ground to take the person to the landlord who is part of the syndicate. The job of the landlord is to convince the client”.

He is also expected to refer him to his lawyer who in turn would encourage the buyer to pay. “We do that to create the impression that the sale is genuine by allowing him to do part of the transaction with the purported landlord. If the land is not genuine, as soon as the client pays, the landlord will disappear.”