Published 14th Jun, 2024

By Olayide Soaga

Abiodun Abubakar Bakare, a Lagos-based mobile vendor, has been accused by some of his customers of failing to deliver mobile devices despite receiving payments.

Vivian Ikehi told FIJ that she sent Bakare the sum of N1.3 million in April for the purchase of an iPhone 15 and another N200,000 loan that same month but he had failed to deliver or refund her money.

“I sent him money on April 17 for an iPhone 15, and he was supposed to give the phone to a dispatch rider to deliver it to me, but he changed his mind and told me that placing an order for the phone online would be a better option. He also said that the delivery would take five days. I agreed with him,” said Ikehi.

Ikehi's proof of payment — Ikehi’s proof of payment

“Some days later, he called to tell me that contraband was found in his goods. When I asked him what kind of contraband it was, he told me it was $500 in cash and it was illegal to move around with that sum of money,” said Ikehi.

She also told FIJ that Bakare told her that he was asked to pay the sum of N500,000 to remove himself from the situation.

Bakare pleaded with Ikehi to loan him some money, which she obliged. She lent him N200,000, and he promised to refund it after making sales.

Receipt of the N200,000 Ikehi loaned Bakare

“After I lent him the money, he told me he would pick up the phone and give it to a dispatch rider to deliver it, but on the day he was supposed to deliver the phone, he told me the dispatch rider had disappointed him. I began to pressure him, and he eventually agreed to refund me,” Ikehi said.

Ikehi added that Bakare had been making up excuses instead of providing her with a refund or delivering her phone.

Disturbed by this and unwilling to let go of her money, Ikehi went to the vendor’s shop in Ikeja. But when she got there, she was informed that he was no longer using the space.

Oluwatosin Arogundade (not real name) also shared a similar story with FIJ.

On April 24, Arogundade sent Bakare the sum of N280,000 for a mobile phone. They had agreed that she would go pick up her phone the following day, which was a Wednesday, or two days later.

“I called him the next day to ask where he was, but he said he was busy. I travelled out of Lagos some days later and informed him I would come for my phone upon my return. He has been feeding me with all sorts of flimsy excuses since I returned,” Chisom told FIJ.

Fed up with the lies, she asked him for a refund, but Bakare refused to oblige.

“I never knew he was a terrible person until I posted his picture on a WhatsApp group and other group members began saying all sorts of horrible things about him,” said Chisom.

When FIJ contacted Bakare on Monday, he said he had begun refunding some of his customers. He also told this reporter to call him by 7 pm that day so he could explain all that had happened, but when this reporter did, he did not respond.

This reporter also sent him text messages and direct messages on WhatsApp, but he did not respond.

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