Teenager arrested in Ikorodu for allegedly selling bar of soap as mobile phones

The Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS)
of Lagos State Police Command, have
apprehended an 18 -year-old boy, Segun
Adeyefa, for allegedly selling bar of soap as
mobile phones to unsuspecting members of
public in traffic.
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.