A man simply identified as Hamzat has made a public outcry after a fraudster (Yahoo Boy) alongside suspected soldiers allegedly invaded his block factory located at Bankole Estate, Magboro, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, and seized his Toyota RAV 4 vehicle.
Hamzat told newsmen on Saturday that the soldiers, numbering up to five in a pick-up van, together with the alleged Yahoo Boy were looking for his younger brother, Sulaimon, who is an Islamic cleric.
He stated that the problem started when he brought a yet-to-be-identified alleged Yahoo Boy, who is a sibling to his fiancée, to Sulaimon for special prayers.
He stated that once the prayer was successful, his girlfriend’s brother requested further special prayers, and Sulaimon referred him to another unidentified Islamic preacher in Lagos’ Agege neighborhood.
Hamzat said, “After my brother introduced him to another Alfa for special prayer, maybe he was duped (or he didn’t get the expected returns after payment); I don’t know. My brother also said he did not know what transpired between the boy and the other Alfa.
“On Tuesday, I was told by someone that some people were at my block factory and they wanted to buy blocks. So I rushed down. I told the person the price of my blocks. In the course of that, I just saw some soldiers coming into the estate. They came to me and said they wanted to see me. I asked them what happened, but they started grabbing me.
“When I looked into their car, I saw the guy I introduced to my brother and his sister, who is my girlfriend. Then the soldiers said I should follow them. They said they would drive my car with them, but I refused. I said I couldn’t give them my car key, but I would drive along with them since I did not steal or commit any crime.”
He went on to say that the soldiers brought him to their barracks in Ebute, where they allegedly took N10,000 from him and impounded his car until he produced his brother.
One of the soldiers started calling Hamzat and requesting that he present his brother.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 81 Division, Lt. Col. Ayeni Olabisi, agreed to look into the matter.
Omolola Odutola, Public Relations Officer for the Ogun State Police, said the allegation was being probed.
