National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Dayo Emmanuel
The scripture says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Sadly, events like this show its daily truth in our society.
Yesterday, I was at a new-generation bank in Lagos. After a transaction that took far too long due to the few staff attending to a crowded banking hall, I felt exhausted. With a pressing deadline looming, I decided to sit and quickly get some work done. I even thought to myself, “Let me at least enjoy part of my investment in this bank and stay under the air conditioner,” as the heat outside was harsh.
While I worked, a man seated nearby, also waiting for a delayed transaction, struck up a conversation. The bank officials had informed him of a system downtime, which was delaying transfers to other banks. He then drew my attention to an incident that had just occurred moments before.
According to him, a woman who had just left the bank was allegedly hypnotised and duped of N5 million.
Naturally, I asked what had happened and how he knew.
He explained that the woman had mistakenly entered the wrong vehicle at Arena, Oshodi, falling into the hands of fraudsters. He claimed they chewed alligator pepper and spat it on her face, leaving her disoriented and vulnerable.
When she arrived at the bank, she appeared confused and handed her phone to the security man, likely seeking help with her banking app, which was not responding. Perhaps the downtime was responsible. The security man refused, insisting she needed to enter the bank before he could assist, as she was not yet in the bank’s custody.
Two men hovered nearby, hesitant. Eventually, she gathered courage and walked inside. Meanwhile, her relatives were already searching for her. Her phone rang, and she was not coordinated, unaware of her location. The security man answered and spoke with a man who identified himself as her husband, and a woman who was her sister. They were able to locate her and immediately headed to the bank.
By then, the damage had been done. While still with the perpetrators, she accessed her first banking app, and N5 million had already been transferred. There was reportedly an attempt to move an even larger sum, but the second app failed to open. This forced the suspects to bring her physically into the bank, allowing her family to trace her and prevent further loss.
When her husband and sister arrived, the perpetrators sensed trouble and disappeared. Her family requested that the bank review CCTV footage to identify the two men who had accompanied her.
As I left the banking hall, it was unclear whether the bank would cooperate fully or if the footage would yield results. One can only hope justice is served—and take this as a reminder of the deceit that can lurk in everyday moments.
