₦airaland Forum

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.
One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.
They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.
They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.
The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.
Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.
Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.
The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.” Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.
Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.
I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.
On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.
After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.
Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.
Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.
I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.
At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.
People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.
They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.
That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.
Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.
Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.
Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they
Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

dawnomike:
Thank goodness you got out of the ordeal alive and well... My business partner and I nearlt fell for such sometimes last year in the same ogun state when we were handling a SUBEB project in the state.

Onewazobia:
Thanks bro,

Our security are accomplice

Tochi360:
Be very careful of How You rush to do business oo.

I recently got a business deal to pull in Jos,I wanted to go but something just told Me to calculate the risk involved,very big Money dey involved ooo,but with the way Tpain has totally destroyed the security of this Country,the risk actually out weights the profit.

Life is not all about money,hopless Apc deadheaded zombies like sonofgod1990 continue to project a very fine save Country,they are DESTINED to be Hopless Zombies all d days of Thier lives.

Nija nor get Govt for now,dey very careful,everything nor be about Money oo.

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

Onewazobia:
Conversation at police station readily available

Onewazobia:
Hmmmm, I am not surprised by this because I once had a similar experience in Atan, Ogun State.

One of our staff members was contacted regarding a contract opportunity an international University. However, based on the project requirements presented to him, he knew he would not qualify for the bidding process, so he innocently informed them that he had a boss who could handle the job.

They initially claimed to operate an international company that had just entered Nigeria and already established satellite campuses across the country. According to them, they wanted to begin construction work on their permanent site around Atan, Ogun State.

They requested our CAC certificate, TIN number, directors’ details, IDs, evidence of previous jobs, and information about our manpower capability. The staff member who referred me later asked if he could forward my number to them since the date for interfacing with the school management was approaching. I agreed, not knowing I was walking into a serious mess.

The whole conversation started on 13th December 2025. They contacted us almost every day, requesting one document or information after another. They obtained several company details, including ID cards, claiming they needed to conduct background checks before inviting any contractor.

Unfortunately, I innocently sent everything they requested. However, I was not sending the documents directly to them because there was a third party involved, and I did not want it to appear as though I was bypassing him. Sadly, I failed to properly verify the authenticity of their claims. Hmmm… it is a long story.

Throughout this period, I never personally spoke with them until 2nd February 2026, when they informed our staff member that there would be a physical meeting at the project site on 9th February 2026. That was when I asked him to forward their contact to me and also give them my number.

The first thing I noticed was that their contact preferred chatting instead of calls. I then asked him about his position in the supposed university. He admitted he was not a staff member but a student who claimed to have a good relationship with one of the staff members. According to him, that was how he got the information and decided to contact our staff member to “give it a try.”

Thank God the innocent boy did not go there himself because only God knows what could have happened to him.

Fast forward to 5th February 2026, I contacted their representative to ask for the address and directions to the location. He told me to “come prepared and plan to sleep over.” Immediately, I asked him why I should sleep over. He replied that there would likely be a crowd and that documentation could take more than a day because it was an international university registration process for contractors.

I told him clearly that I would return home the same day and come back if necessary.

On Monday, 9th February 2026, I left my house around 5:00 a.m., to Atan. When I arrived in Atan, I tried calling him, but his number was not connecting. I then dropped a voice note on WhatsApp, after which he instructed me to take another bike to a different location. At that point, I became suspicious.

After he described the location, the bike rider said he did not know anywhere like that around the area. That further strengthened my suspicion. He then started directing the bike rider from one street to another. However, by that point, I had already made up my mind to see the matter to the end. I was no longer interested in the contract itself; I simply wanted to uncover what was going on.

Eventually, he instructed the bike rider to take me to an hospital. On getting there, I met a young boy, probably around 18 years old, wearing a jalabiya and holding a phone and a badly damaged power bank wrapped with plenty of sellotape.

Immediately I got down from the bike, I asked if he was the one waiting for me. He answered yes and said he would take me to an Alfa. I asked, “An Alfa?” and he answered affirmatively.

I immediately requested for his ID card as a staff member of the supposed university. That was when he started talking carelessly. I quickly held him by the waist and insisted that we must go to the police station. He refused.

At that point, it was past 7:00 a.m. I deliberately raised my voice so that people in the community would come outside and witness what was happening. That was one of the reasons I refused to back down.

People gradually started coming out of their houses. I seized his phone and refused to return it until we got to the police station. Later, some community members persuaded me to give him back the phone so he could call the others involved.

They started arriving one after another. I still have videos and pictures from the incident.
The community members questioned them thoroughly. As more men gathered around, it became obvious to everyone that their story was not genuine. However, because those boys lived in the area, many residents were afraid to confront them directly. Some people advised me to quietly leave the place, but I insisted that we must go to the police station.

That was when some misguided youths in the community suddenly turned against me and even started beating me alongside the suspected kidnappers or ritualists — I honestly do not know which they were. Yet, I still managed to hold onto one of them. God truly gave me strength and courage that day.

Eventually, their leader, who they called “Chancellor,” contacted a police officer whom I strongly suspected was connected to them. When the officer arrived, I requested his ID card, and he showed it to me. Even then, I still insisted on taking a separate bike because anybody could print a fake ID card.

Luckily, someone in the community identified him as an actual police officer, so I reluctantly agreed to ride with him.

Before leaving the street, I asked for the phone number of the community chairman, but they refused to provide it. I then begged them to at least tell me the actual name of the street, and immediately I got it, I sent my live Google location to my family.

Hmmmm… Nigeria is truly something else.
When we finally got to the police station, two officers attended to us. Interestingly, they did not take us into the newer building constructed after the ENDSARS protests, but instead into the older office within the same compound.

After a long back-and-forth discussion, the officers asked me what exactly I wanted since no money had been collected from me.

I told them clearly that my insistence on going to the police station was not for personal gain, but simply to play my role as a responsible citizen. I explained that it was now left for the police to conduct proper investigations.

In the end, the police simply instructed them to apologise to me and “be careful about the kind of clients they deal with.”

That was all.

Till today, I still have the chats, pictures, videos, and other evidence from the incident.

AgainstIslam:
Lost 1.2 million naira to scammers yesterday.

Very painful.

I still can't believe how it happened. Me that's always on guard and can smell scam from miles away.

Reported at the nearest Efcc office and was told the money is too small for them to handle. I just weak, counted my losses and returned to my office.

Onewazobia:
Conversation at police station readily available