opeaceo:


Back pack is the worse if you encounter the really smart ones, I had an experience at Ketu with my back pack, see me searching for my phone like a mad lady. Since then, its front pack (if you understand what I mean).

as in inside bra

Sirlancelot:
Well mine was not theft but a day light duping at computer village ikeja.I was on Pass from work far from Kaduna in 2013.It all started when a street guy approached me to buy his Bold 5 for 20k.Knowing fully well that the price at that time was llke 30k upward,i quickly jumped at the offer but tried to bargained the price to 18k which he obliged.I thoroughly check the phone which was perfectly ok.Then i made way to the nearest ATm to get some money to settle him.After collecting the phone as i made payment,i began my journey back to my destination having pocketed the phone.But this guy kept following me as if he was escorting me as such.i was amazed when he started asking me irrelevant question like where i am going and some useless question like that.When i reached Awo roundabout in ikeja,a guy approach us.Before i know what was happening, he started punching the phone seller,telling him not to sell phone at road side again.'Mufu i don warn u nt to sell phone for road side again'exclaimed the supposed new guy.All this was accompanied with new punch and slap.I was dumb-founded if not confuse as i stand there watching the drama.The new guy ask me authoritatively to return the phone back to him and collect my money,which i did.That is the beginning of my problem.As soon as i handed the phone back to him,i didnt even care to check the money he return back to me.I still remember that moment with fond memory.After he gave me the money,he disapeared with the new guy .!I was left confused.Well i later regained my sense back to check what was given to me,alas it was a one thousand note wrap with remaining once being a white paper cut-sized to rhyme with the 1k note.I check my back which was a shop,people where laughing secretly,apparrently they know what had had happened but choose to be an on-looker. That was not my first time in lagos,i was born and bred in lagos before mooving to Kaduna in 2013 due to my work.I am a trained soldier.I complained to Police attached to the village but nothing was done.I feel like killling someone that day because i was treated like a fool.Very painful.I went back to the spot i met him where i see his fellow 'accomplice' whom even threaten to hit me if i didnt get a life.I was left with no choice than to use my military power.I went to ikeja cantonment to inform my colleague.Two soldiers followed me back to computer village where i arrested those guys that do the same business like them.After much torture at the barrack,they confess to know those guys who dupe me but vow to pay me up.I collected the money back from them.One thing in army is sweet,and that is blanket Job.You buy job,another man can serve the jon for you.Or only one person can buy job for a whole group of people.That how i collected my money back from their friend while i tell them to held those one on the run for accoutable for their loss.

I swear u fuckup, u for collect the phone and other things join. Esp for the 2 oda soldiers. Payback is a b.tch

Venom104:

as in inside bra

Nope, the bag is in front not at the back anymore.

Infomizer:


Nwanem, no be every body be Jet Li nao. I thought I mentioned that I wasn't the aggressive type. Belligerence ain't my style...Na last resort, if at all!

Naso shaah, but deh try apply street strictness for walka a.k.a no joy. Cos if your face too meek nah sure counting be dat, like me when I Pam, my movements first nah scommon clear road dia.

one luv.

komek:
*@OP,if not that u mentioned where this thing happened, I would have asked if it happened at Ikeja. Exactly same way they picked my 2k on a sunday morning. I felt intimidated cos the guy waz someone I could take on comfortably

Fast forward, 2 months later this same guy did same thing to me at another bus stop within same ikeja and it was very late in the night. The slap I gave to him on thAt day, I don't think I have ever given it to any human being in my life. I was able to take the earphone I saw on him, I seized the dirty footwear he was putting on. Before I said jack, the guy took to his heels and was shouting "Azeez o, Azeez o. O boy na so me run towards another direction with the seized items.
Most times they operate individually and they look so unkempt
Those guys seem to be everywhere in Lagos and they have same modus operandi.

And so the pickpocket becomes the pick pocketed!

Lmao!

Carry go, jare. Nothing do you.

omo na everywhr e dey

myn was at at alaba int market.... one fair handsum guy just walked up to me nd was lik "guy c dis blackberry z10 i wan hail am any amount wey u get giv me i nid moni sharp sharp" he told me to giv him 7k n i bargained wit him n we agrid on 6k as i mumu reach dis guy jst dey folow me dey talk everytin wey full him mouth.... i was so sure of mysef dat e wasnt goin to dupe me but to my greatest surprise na soap dis guy package for paper lik dsame fone wey i don test b4 cum giv me. wen i don giv am moni finish sha cum check am dis guy don disappearance ... oboy i wan die..... sh**+..... since then i dey fine dem i neva see

Novel laureate,

They took my phone in a bus. I don't know how they did it cos I was wearing a very tight skinny jean and d phone was inside d front pocket. I was so pissed....my new phone.

yes ooooo!.anything fit happen for lagos ooo concerning pick pocketers

most importantly, in case you didn't know , you are a very good writer, you have the talent!

Op next time try not go about town with bulgy pockets. This is Lagos, the fact you should consider is that you were not the only one in the street of Lagos. For you to be attacked consecutively like that, you must have attracted tempted those boys by not been able to conceal what you carry properly.

TOO LONG





LL READ LATER

Reading this post cleared the sleep that was almost closing my eyes. Na only me de read dey laugh. Nice write up and a good eye opener

u r one lucky dude

hedonistic:


So, OP and anyone else here who might know about these things, what is the best way to handle this situation if, God forbid, one finds himself in such?

This looks like a really dangerous situation to be in. Being careful wouldn't help in this context, so what should one do?

bro I no know d best way out for others o.. other than moving in numbers, when going to flash points.

As for me i deh Pam ma legit Beretta 4 waist, if you find with me 4 road, you see.

I visited an old friend in Obalende, lagos island.....and behold I witnessed a graduation(freedom) ceremony of well trained pick pockets/robbers. Ages ranging from 8- 15...... And their boss .....he used to be a thief in his hay days,but now runs a skunk & paraga joint.
Peeps anytime you find yourself on their radar....look stern,make a fake call....and rain curses and threats(in a gangster tone) on such fake calls. This turns them off somehow.

@infomizer, you were a victim of gbe ese e soke. Let me tell you what happened, first in Ikorodu and in CMS. The first guy that was "demonstrating" to you by lifting your legs up was actually pushing your phone out of your pocket. Lifting your leg up was only to distract you. As you rightly guessed, the GS was an accomplice and while the first dude was "demonstrating", he was behind you waiting for either your phone or wallet to drop. Most times it will fall right in his hands and not on the floor.

The other guy in the bus did distract you by sneezing, like you rightfully guessed again, and did pick your pocket. Lagos pick pockets actually "learn" all those stuff on the street. Believe it or not.

My advice to you will be to never mind any stranger especially agberos. If they come near you just tell them these magic words "ogbeni lo wa eyan imi". Thank me later

opeaceo:


Back pack is the worse if you encounter the really smart ones, I had an experience at Ketu with my back pack, see me searching for my phone like a mad lady. Since then, its front pack (if you understand what I mean).

Loool....I understand. But I feel safe with it and I don't loose guard and mind where my belongings are...

I read the whole epistle of @Op as well as every single comment on this thread, but no 1 made mention of the assumption that these pick-pockets could possibly make do with "jazz" (charms). In my experience at Balogun market on Monday 8th Dec. 2014, this neatly dressed guy also acted up like I hit him. He is an Igbo and he had this cool guy outlook such that you wouldnt take him for a street urchin. He was on a sky blue rock T-shirt, a dark blue skin-tight jean pant, a black sneakers and a ballers' cap. I went to that market with 90K but I've purchased goods and was left with 43K. While roaming the market on this fateful day around 4.20pm trying to purchase other goods, this guy came from behind and brushed me but acted up like I tripped over him earlier without saying sorry; I must have been deceived by his appearance cos he looked so neat and cool that I had no fear to apologize despite being a stranger. My kind of person wouldn't have had any conversation with him had he being a dirty dreadlock, tatooed, multi-body-parts-piercing looking guy. Following this, the then enstrange but now trending gist of " if to say you no say sorry, I for punch you like this" was also established by this guy but I believe the gist in this case was more than mere prank; he could or must have hit me with a charm because I rmbr I saw him pause the conversation at a time and he was soliloquizing (that could be incantations); from that point my brain went blank! The whole scenario that followed was like a trance; throughout the time he jerked me up by grabbing my jean pant in the waistline, pushed up the 43K in the front right side of my jean, removed the cash and cross to the other side of the road, I was half conscious. I wasn't able to process consciously what was going on. I went to the market along with a friend and she, coming from behind came to the scene while the guy was jerking me and asked me what was going on? She told me later on that I replied her with a smile that there is no problem, that the guy was only playing with me! Following that, she said she just kept on moving ahead! So after the robbery, the guy crossed to the other side of the road and freed me from the spell by saying "thank you Sir, God bless you Sir, safe journey Sir"! Then he disappeared into the thick crowd. Minutes later, abt 2 or 3, after walking in a straight motion still unconscious, I suddenly regained my consciousness! Some people supported the assumption that these hoodlums usually release victims from their spells through verbal utterances. After regaining my consciousness, the first thing that occurred to me was to check for my cash and alas it was gone! I called my friend (the girl), she was walking fast in a straight motion ahead of me, I shouted before she could stop; then I told her I've been robbed! I ran back to the scene but it was already late, the shop owners who witnessed the event only looked at me scornfully and turned their faces away. It was only a rough looking guy who may be an accomplice that made some remarks saying "guy forget, dat 1 don go, u don dull yourself, awon omo aye ti get ee" (meaning: you've been hit by guys of the underworld)

It's an old trick but mainly used on you when you are not concentrating.

So I was walking from elephant house towards Apongbon and a guy wearing babanriga like an hausa man approached me and asked if I want to change dollars.
I remembered I had one hundred dollars on me so I asked him the rate and what he gave me was too juicy to resist. So, I brought out the dollar and he counted the naira for me. I was happy. We exchanged cash.
Only for me to walk a small distance and the guy came up to meet me that sorry he can't do the transaction again that the rate has changed.
I was angry. My mistake. Told him to give me back my dollars and collect his naira. He quickly handed over the dollars to me. I grabbed it and walked off.
Immediately, something clicked and I brought out the dollars and checked, I was given a fake one hundred dollar bill.

I was mad. Turned back to the spot and didn't see any of the fake hausa boys again. That was when the women selling drinks there called me and asked what happened? I narrated to them and they smiled. That they were signalling to me when I was negotiating with the guy. I felt like crying.
One of them took pity on me and collected my phone no that she will call me when the guys surface again. But they won't come to that spot for some days, so I should be patient.

Fast forward a week after, I received a call from the woman that the boys were back and that I should bring Police with me while coming but I should not come to their side because the boys must not know she has anything to do with it.
I went to the island and straight to the police station. The woman on the counter obtained 500 naira from me before taking me to an officer. I narrated the story and immediately the officer stood up and picked an handcuff, called another officer and said we should go. On the way, he told me to walk ahead of them and pretend as if I want to change dollars.

When we got to the spot, I moved straight to the guy because I could recognise him. As we were talking, the officer moved in and grabbed him. Immediately the place scattered, see the guys running and the officers gave them a chase. Caught two of them, and we headed back to the station.

Initially, they wanted to deny but when better slap landed on their faces, they began to confess.
The story too long but at the end of the day, I collected my money, police too collect their cut and I was threatened by the guy's colleague who came to bail them.

clemmonce:
why do you people like you visit Nairaland? Nairaland is a place to learn... not a dating site. if you can't read simple articles why are you here ?

lmao. so how sure are you i didnt read. listen i've had a hell of week. if you dont understand someone just keep shut and move. kind of folks that gives advice when non is needed.



oga dating site. you should have even used a better example weyrey.

.

Anyways funny experience i always carry my jack knife around with me. So i was in this bus sand witched in between two pple. I kept feeling this hands against my pocket and kept cool. At the third attempt i brought out my knife from my socks and pointed it to the guy "saying if you put ur hand inside my pocket again i go cut ur fingers comot. Nigga kept mute and few minutes later people started laughing. Feeling like a G

That CMS experience happened to me 5years ago but mine was slightly different. Very close to moloney, i was walking down with my poly ethene bag containing my Dad's new pam slippers. Suddenly this 'agbero' walked pass me. I must admit the leather bag touched him abit. But i still turned back and apologised(i mumu then). I should have moved on. Then guy came all the way back to me and said i could have wounded him and i was like - Say What?? .

With 'poly-tin' bag?(though not aloud).

Then he said he was a police, then he jacked up my trousers same way he did to OP.

He slipped his last two fingers in my pocket to reach for my new 3110c ..

Although he was a bit nervous. He left the phone coz he didnt have much time and people were closing in on us.

Funny thing was, my twin brother who was more toutish was beside the road watching. He just said, he thought the guy was my friend..oh really?

The mumu thief later begged for 10naira(Obviously for benson/thyme) and speadily said i dont have..

Na so 3110c for follow wind..

I was living in dolphin estate again.. So na my hood dem wan waylay me..

A good write up is always appreciated. Thanks for the warning.

Not to boast, but I think I'm immune from pick pockets. I'll have to be very distracted for anyone to pick my pockets. I'm very conscious of whatever is in my pockets.

Now, if you read Oliver Twist way back, you would recognize what these people were doing to you. Faggin taught his boys this same trick of physical misdirection.

Please be careful next time.

Mine was cross boarder experience. Lagos sharp guy go fall maye "mumu" for cotonue. My abt 17yrs ago experience. I would accompany mum to cotonue - tokpa n musebo to precise,so dat I can also stand tall among d league of "me too don travel out".
Mum was in cross boarder trading den n I do assist her sometimes. Dat day, I was on my usual lagos bouncing guy(dat type of bounce wey dey naturally come wen u c boiz like u dey wear kente wit cut-n-sew materia n u dey wear baggy jean n okay polo shirt).
Mum warned me to always b on d same walking step line wit her but my "lagos big boy show" no allow me. Suddenly, an hausa lookin man walked up to me n said "wia u come prom? N I answered" i b warri guy from naija(even though I lied, as worri guyz are generally bilivd to b smart n sharp).i could c smile akin to dat of mockery on his face like"warri guy from naija? c mumu".All e said was "my priend, dos okada men don comot ur moni" I immediately checked my back pocket brethren, lo n behold d place empty like desert.
D immediate redness for my eyes pass person wey apolo catch. I couldn't tell mum my experience. All I could remember was d moment I was trying to maneuver my way btw two okada men. Some pple sharp for dat picking pocket biz walahi.

suco50:
I read the whole epistle of @Op as well as every single comment on this thread, but no 1 made mention of the assumption that these pickpocketers could possibly make do with "jazz" (charms). In my experience at Balogun market on Monday 8th Dec. 2014, this neatly dressed guy also acted up like I hit him. He is an Igbo and he had this cool guy outlook such that you wouldnt take him for a street urchin. He was on a sky blue rock T-shirt, a dark blue skin-tight jean pant, a black sneakers and a ballers cap. I went to that market with 90K but I've purchased goods and was left with 43K. While roaming the market on this fateful day around 4.20pm trying to purchase other goods, this guy came from behind and brushed me but acted up like I tripped over him earlier without saying sorry; I must have been deceived by his appearance cos he looked so neat and cool that I had no fear to apologize despite being a stranger. My kind of person wouldn't have had any conversation with him had he being a dirty dreadlock, tatooed, multi-body-parts-piercing looking guy. Following this, the then enstrange but now trending gist of " if to say you no say sorry, I for punch you like this" was also established by this guy but I believe the gist in this case was more than mere prank; he could or must have hit me with a charm because I rmbr I saw him pause the conversation at a time and he was soliloquizing (that could be incantations); from that point my brain went blank! The whole scenario that followed was like a trans; throughout the time he jerked me up by grabbing my jean pant in the waistline, pushed up the 43K in the front right side of my jean, removed the cash and cross to the other side of the road, I was half conscious. I wasn't able to process consciously what was going on. I went to the market along with a friend and she, coming from behind came to the scene while the guy was jerking me and asked me what was going on? She told me later on that I replied her with a smile that there is no problem, that the guy was only playing with me! Following that, she said she just kept on moving ahead! So after the robbery, the guy crossed to the other side of the road and freed me from the spell by saying "thank you Sir, God bless you Sir, safe journey Sir"! Then he disappeared into the thick crowd. Minutes later, abt 2 or 3, after walking in a straight motion still unconscious, I suddenly regained my consciousness! Some people supported the assumption that these hoodlums usually release victims from their spells through verbal utterances. After regaining my consciousness, the first thing that occurred to me was to check for my cash and alas it was gone! I called my friend (the girl), she was walking fast in a straight motion ahead of me, I shouted before she could stop; then I told her I've been robbed! I ran back to the scene but it was already late, the shop owners who witnessed the event only looked at me scornfully and turned their faces away. It was only a rough looking guy who may be an accomplice that made some remarks saying "guy forget, dat 1 don go, u don dull yourself, awon omo aye ti get ee" (meaning: you've been hit by guys of the underworld)

Bro...I don't think it was jazz..You were hypnotized. I didn't know they were that good! Mehn!

hahn:
@infomizer, you were a victim of gbe ese e soke. Let me tell you what happened, first in Ikorodu and in CMS. The first guy that was "demonstrating" to you by lifting your legs up was actually pushing your phone out of your pocket. Lifting your leg up was only to distract you. As you rightly guessed, the GS was an accomplice and while the first dude was "demonstrating", he was behind you waiting for either your phone or wallet to drop. Most times it will fall right in his hands and not on the floor.

The other guy in the bus did distract you by sneezing, like you rightfully guessed again, and did pick your pocket. Lagos pick pockets actually "learn" all those stuff on the street. Believe it or not.

My advice to you will be to never mind any stranger especially agberos. If they come near you just tell them these magic words "ogbeni lo wa eyan imi". Thank me later

Bro...Imma thank you now!
I immediately sensed the pattern. Na real gbe ese e soke! I know what to say next time though. Thanks.

jayriginal:
A good write up is always appreciated. Thanks for the warning.
Not to boast, but I think I'm immune from pick pockets. I'll have to be very distracted for anyone to pick my pockets. I'm very conscious of whatever is in my pockets.
Now, if you read Oliver Twist way back, you would recognize what these people were doing to you. Faggin taught his boys this same trick of physical misdirection.
Please be careful next time.

That's the point bro..On a good day, I'm very conscious of my pockets. Distraction is what they use to perpetuate their acts. Key thing according to @hahn is to let 'em know you know what they're up to and that they should look elsewhere. Read Oliver Twist about 2 decades ago..can't really remember that part thanks to memory...lol. Thanks man.

mine was at ajayi farm bus stop along Ikeja along bus stop, one Thursday morning (environmental day) early last year.
the same approach, d guy successfully stole my wallet.

Holywood is making them
After watching focus and prison break
They are acting up on us all.

Until when they will hear about this man called
perikoma in d east
They will retire

This will most def. pass as a missive to the Lagoon metropolis dwellers but I like your style of writing, it's lucid in nature.

More NGT experience to share (Near Gory Tales)

Mine happened at oshodi few years back. I had my phone in my front jeans pocket, with an earpiece attached while the music was blasting in my ears. There was a crowd at the bus stop, and when a bus came, everyone scrambled for a seat, fortunately for me I oCcupied the last seat{you know that seat at the second row close to the door}. When I sat down I immediately observed no music sound in my ears. Alas! I checked for my phone only to see my earpiece cord dangling. Immediately I alighted to check if it fell and then called the number with my other phone hoping it would ring and also hoping the thief was in the same bus, but It was switched off. In a space of less than a minute! Kai !

Infomizer:


It is definitely fact! I wish I could prove it. It is. Thanks for the compliment man!

Guy, u don't need to. Had a similar experience at a petrol station during this" Subsidy period". As usual na, Long queue-almost endless.During the Fuel scuffle Bumped into this boy from behind ; a little younger than I was, and I quickly apologized and he was like na small thing joor, then his friend engaged me in a short conversation, I'm not really a friendly person so it ended in a while. Then the guy I bumped into was like : if na another person u marsh like that him for grab u like this**lifts me up from my trouser**, my friendliness immediately changed cos I hate embarrasment. He then apologized and in a minute , the two boys dissapeared.
Then and there it dawned on me ooo, Checked my back pocket and the money for Fuel was Gone and my wallet too. I have never been outsmarted before. Ever since then, I always have my phone and wallet in my hands. My brain is always at alert and I shove off any sudden friendly act or I play along.
They are everywhere.. BE CAREFUL

blake777:

Fact or fiction who knows? But one thing is certain ur a good writer bruv keep it up!

Definitely fact.. I've experienced the "Accidentally brushed" thieves (cms/marina) and the "Sneezing man" (bode thomas/surulere). Accidentally brushed ended up with my blackberry q5 (tracked the phone days later to an Abironke Aminat who claimed her man gave it to her and she doesn't care if it was stolen). Sneezer was unlucky as I suddenly decided to get down from the bus and I checked my pocket while trying to sort my Fare. Found the phone under his ass.. I was tempted to remove his eye.