“Welcome to Lagos” slogan seen at the entrance of Lagos state doesn’t mean you are welcome to Lagos city. That was exactly what I was told after what happened to me 15/10/2016. Indeed as a first timer in the city, if one is not smart, they would be dealt with, defrauded, scammed by dubious people. But in my own case, I didn’t know if to say I was careless or just dull. This is not my first time of coming to Lagos. I had made up my mind to leave in the city. I preferred Abuja or Port Harcourt. I just want to come to Lagos for business, visit and leave. That was my dream as at 5, 4 years ago. I didn’t enjoy the Lagos kind of life. The hustles, bustles, go-slows and rowdy areas. I wanted a cool environmental life in Abuja. But as life would have it, most jobs calling my way are from Lagos so I had to take a decision and move to Lagos, which I did.
On the 15th October 2016, I had packed my bags, I was ready to finally relocate myself to Lagos. With my bags like a sky diver, a missionary worker ready to take over a village. I moved.
“Welcome to Lagos” was what I saw in a big banner. I stopped in Ojota, with my bag containing my laptop and some other stuffs behind my back, and my big travelling bag I held with my hand. “Lagos here I come.” I had my earpiece on my ears with my infinix phone in my trouser pocket. I was blasting music.
In the streets of Lagos, you might not get correct answers to your questions because people can will barely answer you. You dare not trust just anyone.
As I landed in Ojota, I was contemplating if I could get a cab going to Iyana paja directly from there. As I asked one of the passersby, she didn’t even respond to me. Maybe she think say I be 419. But thanks to one of the guys standing there. He said I should enter a cab going to oshodi, from there I will get a cab going to Iyana paja. Na so I enter oshodi car. I and some other guys dropped at the market. A very rowdy, crowded and busy area with pedestrian bridge. I had my phone on my hand, my earpiece plugged to it. I placed the phone inside my trouser pocket as I climbed the bridge towards the other side where I was hearing “Iyana paja, egbeda.” I was forming Jagaban as I carried my big bag on my hand as I climbed the bridge like “Jonny just come Lagos.” It was so crowded. Many people going, others coming.
It was just like a movie to me. As I was walking towards the other direction to board cab going to Iyana paja. My earpiece connected to my phone dropped out of my pocket. I looked at the pocket where my phone was, it was empty. I touched it to know if it wasn’t what I was thinking. My dear, it was it oooo. My phone had gone. ‘who stole my phone?’ and the place was crowded. “Who will I ask?” “How will I ask?” So it won’t look as if am accusing passersby. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Kaiiiii, I have been pick pocketed. Now all those weird stories I have been hearing concerning pickpockets. All those this are all true.
Rather than trying to embarrass myself, I pretended as if nothing happened I entered cab going to Iyana paja. I was so weak. I brought out my wallet from my other pocket and held it with my hand. I checked to confirm if my laptop was inside the school bag I was hanging across my shoulders. It was there. I was just bitter that I have been duped in Lagos. I was so sad and angry.
When I got to Iyana paja, as I was trying to bring out my travelling bag, that was when I discovered that my bag has been cut open. “Chineke.” I was so frustrated that I had to carry the bag on my head like an old woman that went to Cotonou to buy oranges for her kids. I was so devastated. Dem don do me “welcome to Lagos.” I dey complain say economic hard times dey hold me to ransom. The little money I have will now be to buy a new phone! And the phone that was stolen, my both lines are my hot numbers. My family, friends, clients and business partners will be trying to reach me.
I got to Ikotun where I would stay at about 6:15pm. I was rendered phoneless. I dropped my bag and went to ATM to withdraw. I just wanted to get a small touchlight phone and retrieve my sim so to get intouch with family and friends to tell them I arrived safely even when I have been scammed.
I got a small Tecno phone of N4,500 at a shop nearby. I asked the man if he retrieves lost or stolen sim/numbers because there are so many mini sim and phone shops in that place. He said he doesn’t but I can do it from any of the people I was seeing. He asked me the network I want to welcome back. I told him Glo and Airtel. He warned me never to do any welcome back for Glo with those people because they will just eat my N500. He said I should wait, exercise patience till Monday and go to the Glo mini office close by to do it. For Airtel, he said I should try it with those guys that it might work. Na so I say ‘Okay, thank you,’ and come leave the shop.
As I was leaving the place, a young lady ran to me. She said she learnt I wanted to retrieve my lost lines, that she can do it for me. I said “yes” that I wanted to retrieve both my Glo and Airtel lines. She said she could do all of them and they will start working instantly. Each of them is N500. So I will spend N1000 for the two networks. She said it was the phone seller that directed her to me so she could help me. But I remembered it was the same phone seller that told me never to trust any of them there. Na so I tell the girl say na only Airtel I go do, say Glo, dem don direct me go there office. So I wanted to do Airtel alone because I wasn’t convinced about the Glo. But I didn’t have my Airtel number of heart. She took me to her colleague. I wanted to use his phone to call one of my sister so she could text me my Airtel number. But the colleague no gree. Na so I waka leave there go dey think of my life.
The next day afternoon which was a Sunday, I went back to the place where I bought my phone because it was a busy area and market. Everyday na market for there. I saw one of the guys selling sim cards of various network. I asked if he does Airtel sim number retrieval, he said he does it and it will work instantly. He said it’s N500. Na so I carry N500 give him. He took down my name and some other details and my old Airtel number. He gave me the new Sim and said my old line will be active at night. “I thought you said it would start working instantly?” I asked. Na so the guy change mouth. Infact the guy sef no even snap me any photo, he didn’t capture any of my image or requested for I.D card. Some other guys there said that is how it’s being done there. I was surprised since I am still new in Lagos. Na so I leave dey expect say my old line will be active. Night came and it was the next day, my old line was not still active. Even the new Airtel line, I was sent a message to go register it.
I went back to the place I bought the Airtel sim, lo and behold I could find the guys that sold the Sim to me. Na new set of people I see for there. My money, N500 don go be that. I fell for the maga. I have been maga-ed. One of the guys selling Sim there was truthful to me. He said I should go to Airtel office to retrieve my line and Glo shop nearby. He said none of them there can retrieve any line there though I can register but can’t retrieve line there. Well my eyes don open. I had to go to Glo store nearby to retrieve my Glo line. Infact it took 2 weeks for the line to become active after much stress. Chaiii, I have never seen such a thing like that. It seem everything in Lagos is just stressful.
Any one I narrated this issue to will tell me, “welcome to Lagos.” My sister said the sign post I saw “Welcome to Lagos,” when I was entering the city doesn’t mean I was welcome to the city. You just have to be rugged and smart in this city.


http://hovabuzz.com/frontline/1277-welcome-to-lagos-my-experience-with-pickpocketing-in-lagos

Ooohhoooo!!
Meanwhile;

l had my phone on my hand, my earpiece plugged to it. I
placed the phone inside my trouser pocket as I climbed the
bridge towards the other side where I was hearing “Iyana
paja, egbeda.” I was forming Jagaban as I carried my big
bag on my hand as I climbed the bridge like “Jonny just
come Lagos.”

imagine, and you expect all the bad boys in that area not to see you as their prey ?

Now this is scary.. If they can defraud locals,What more if it is foreign visiting Lagos?

hahahha a very funny story.
Its just so unfortunate that some people in lagos now see defrauding others as a good thing.
Truth is if i ever get ma hands on a pick pocketer, I go throw am inside canal straight up.
Me i dont shine ma eyes in lagos oo, i just do things at ma own pass but if person cross me, sorry na im case cos thats the only language they understand. VIOLENCE

k

TrapQueen77:


Now this is scary.. If they can defraud locals,What more if it is foreign visiting Lagos?

Lagos is very messed up trust me.
many sadists abound there.
Its either you beat em or you join em. and when you join em, you become like them.

Justdulla:

Lagos is very messed up trust me.
many sadists abound there.
Its either you beat em or you join em. and when you join em, you become like them.

Now u scare me more ooo..

Na only Lagos
come Benin and see street robbing

The one that happened on 29th

Benin is worst. . .very irritating place.
So dirty.
Useless girls.
Worwor girls like der former governor---- Oshimole
Dirty Markets everywer.
No fun place. . .only Kada cinema.

#YOLO

TrapQueen77:






Now u scare me more ooo..

Me assumed u were lagos based nah.

Justdulla:

Me assumed u were lagos based nah.

.. Sorry for you

77al:


.. Sorry for you

Oga why you tellin me sorry... Am not sick nah

TrapQueen77:


Now this is scary.. If they can defraud locals,What more if it is foreign visiting Lagos?

Hahahaaa I already afraid to go to Lagos.. And what to do? Hmmmm