Photo: Teenager arrested in Ikorodu for allegedly selling bar of soap as mobile phones
The suspect was arrested by the RRS men on routine patrol of Ikorodu Motor Park yesterday at about 19:50 hrs, while trying to defraud a young man at the motor park.
Upon his arrival at RRS’s Headquarters, the suspect confessed that before he was caught on Tuesday, he had duped one person of N3,500 who wanted to buy the phone.
He noted that he was lured into the fraud after he was duped through a similar means about a year ago.
“My
action was prompted when I was swindled by two guys about a year ago by
this way. I had intention of buying a phone but unknowingly to me it
was a cut-to-size bar of soap just looked similar to a phone shape… The
two guys approached me on my way to work, then, I was learning a
plumbing work somewhere around Ikorodu… I bought the phone which was
advertised to me as ‘London used phone’ for N2, 500… As I left the
place, I checked the phone I bought, to my surprise, I discovered it was
a soap I bought for such amount… That very moment I promised myself to
revenge by doing same to the people,” he revealed.
Explaining
how he mastered the tactics to swindle unsuspecting members of public
through that means, he said “after I discovered that it was a
cut-to-size soap I bought as phone, I learnt that tactics by
understudying the material…. The item contained cut-to-size soap, carton
and wrapped all together with a cello tape.”
The
suspect who lived at 81, Oriwu Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, further
revealed how he perpetuated the fraud under the false pretence of
selling a genuine phone.
“What
I usually do is called exchange. My prospective victims will have the
mind of buying handset from me but unknowingly to them I would have
changed the real handset to soap wrapped with cut to size carton put
inside an envelope… I will engage them in discussion after showing them
real phone initially, and in the process of bargaining for the price, I
will change it with the aid of white handkerchief to fake phone… And, I
will tell them to keep the phone inside their pockets immediately that
people are watching us. As soon as the buyer left the spot, I will
immediately change my location by moving to another place.”
The suspect further stated that the demise of his master who was teaching him plumbing work, also led to his criminal act.
While
confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),
Superintendent of Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, warned the general public to
be weary of individuals who approach them to buy phones on highways in
order not to fall victim of con men.
Items such as fake phones, key soap cut to
size, shirts, some amount of money, packet of envelopes and cut to size
cartons were recovered from him. The suspect has been transferred to Lagos State Task Force on Environment for prosecution
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