A Point-of-Sale operator, Samuel Ayodele, has accused a soldier, identified only as Williams, of defrauding him of N100,000 in the Ketu area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the soldier on October 26, 2021, drove a black Hilux to Ayodele’s shop to do a cash withdrawal transaction of N100,000, as he requested the operator’s account number to transfer the money into it.
After receiving Ayodele’s account number, the soldier reportedly showed him that the N100,000 had been debited from his account.
The operator, however, denied receiving a credit alert in his bank account.
Ayodele told our correspondent on Monday that the soldier became furious and suggested dropping his phone number so the 32-year-old could contact him if the transaction was not successful.
After exchanging contacts, the PoS operator said he gave the soldier the N100,000.
“I gave him the money because I could not believe a high-ranking soldier, who drove a very good car, would defraud me.
“When I did not receive the alert, I called his phone number, but he did not pick it. He later called back and I told him I had yet to receive the alert. He said was it because of N100,000 that I was disturbing him and did I know the kind of person he was. He then said he would come the following day,” Ayodele added.
The Oyo State indigene said the soldier never showed up at his shop again, adding that in a bid to get his money back, he visited the army barracks in the Odogunyan and Ikorodu areas of Lagos to report the case.
The 31-year-old said, “When his number was no longer going through, I asked a friend to call the number and it also didn’t go through. But the name that came out on Truecaller was Williams Unit Commander. It also brought out pictures of two people in army uniforms.
“When I checked the soldier’s contact on WhatsApp, I saw a picture of him wearing uniform and it was the same man that came to my shop to withdraw N100,000 and generated an alert that did not reflect in my account.
“When he said he was coming from Ikorodu, I thought he was from the army barracks in Ikorodu. I proceeded there, went to the intelligence department and met a soldier, identified as Ajino. I explained all that happened and also showed him the soldier’s picture and he said no soldier with such a rank was in the barracks.
“He advised me to go to the Ikeja Military Cantonment and also gave me a number to call. When I got there, I called a soldier, Barrister Obi, who works in the intelligence department. I was explaining to the soldier when he interjected and asked if it was a soldier who drove a black Hilux and I said yes. He said they had been looking for him because he had defrauded several people.”
He urged the army authorities to arrest the suspect to save other prospective victims.
Efforts to get the soldier for a reaction proved abortive as he had yet to respond to calls and a text message sent to his mobile phone as of the time this report was filed.
The spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Olaniyi Osoba, said Ayodele should make an official report to the military police for a proper investigation.
He said, “The PoS operator should go and make an official complaint to the military police at the Ikeja Cantonment so the matter could be investigated.” (Punch)
