A 50-year-old man, Godwin Atang, yesterday lost N180,000 a to group of
robbers popularly called ‘one chance’.
Atang, who cried uncontrollably
along the popular Murtala Mohammed Way in Calabar, Cross River State,
said he had left his company, Iwansco Drinks Distribution Company at
Mbukpa axis of Calabar South with N180,000 which he intended to deposit
in a bank on the road.
The man said he boarded a taxi from
Calabar South to the highway, but after he disembarked, he decided to
check the money only to discover a pile of papers in the bag.
He said:
“My
name is Elder Godwin Atang and I work with Iwansco Drinks Distribution
Company in Mbukpa. I had N180,000 which my director asked me to deposit
at the bank here. The taxi driver who dropped me played a dirty trick on
me by pretending to open the door for me only to touch me with his
magic which has resulted in the whole money becoming papers in my hand.”
The father of three said he had to take “a drop” to avoid either delay
on the way or somebody sitting close to him.
He added: “I sat
with the driver in front and there was no other person with us since I
decided to take a drop to avoid delay on the road or somebody tampering
with the money. I did not know that I entered a cab with a ‘magical’
driver who would eventually rob me of the entire money.
“When we
got to this place (opposite the bank), he pretended to open the door for
me so that his hand could touch me. He said there was a problem with
the door and he alone understood how to open it. I allowed him not
knowing that he just wanted to touch me so that the money would
disappear.
I have been hearing about this kind of thing but this
is the first time I am experiencing it.”
When asked if he could identify
the driver, Atang said; “I am not so sure I can identify him. While we
were coming, he just kept looking at the side mirror and he was not
really talking to me.
I just wanted to come and deposit the money
and return to the office. As soon as he dropped me, he just sped away
and immediately he left,it dawned on me to check the money only to
discover the papers.”
Atang, who cried like a baby after the discovery,
attracted a crowd of people who gathered to sympathise with him.
Some
policemen, however, went with him to his company to report the
incident. The incident came barely 72 hours after the state Commandant
of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Clement
Adewuyi, warned the public of the existence of a ‘one chance’ syndicate
in the state.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations
Officer (PPRO), ASP John Eluu, said the police had received reports of
the activities of the syndicate in recent times. He said: “But since no
victim has laid hands on anybody, we cannot do anything now.”
Eluu, however, appealed to the public to be careful with the drivers, especially as the festive period approaches.