For the original version of this write-up please visit: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/metro/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=280809&ptitle=End%20of%20the%20road%20for%20an%20SMS%20extortionist)
THE text messages were meant to send shivers down the spines of even the strong-willed, and, if ever there was a man of courage, "Mr James Oghalese" was one. Yet he was forced to flee with his family for safety at the unrelenting onslaught of his persecutors . The story of what Oghalese went through emerged on Wednesday at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja. The police said it was a warning that one can never be too careful in making choices about who to take in as house-help or even friends. Present too, as Oghalese told his story, was one of his tormentors, Gbadebo Ahmed, whose accomplice still remained at large. Narrating his ordeal, Oghalese told policemen and reporters: "On the evening of Friday, July 10, 2009, to be precise. I received a text message in which I was asked to 'co-operate' and bring the sum of N300,000. Initially I thought that the people behind such a message may likely be fraudsters engaged in ' "Obtaining Under False Pretenses" also called '419' agents. However I started to worry when the threat did not stop, and became too much. They told me that if I liked, I could call the police or State Security Service (SSS), and that such a move would not save me. They said they knew my house, and that they would bulldoze my gate. When the matter took such a turn, I realized these were no ordinary "419" people . "I replied and pleaded with them that I did not have that kind of money. Frightened and desperate, I now told my wife, and we consequently went out to friends and borrowed N100000. We added to that, the pocket money that we kept at home, which we now went to drop for them as they instructed, at Gowon Estate Gate by 10:15pm.". "They said they did not want to see me, and would rather my driver dropped the money at the location they wanted. My driver was scared". "They sent me another message, and when I told them that I dropped only N120000, they said that was not the amount they asked for, and that I should bring the balance the following week or risk death with my family". "Hence we moved out of our house.". "Where we ran to, I never dared to step outside. Yet they would tell me the color of the clothes I wore, or the car which I was using. At this point, I became more afraid". "I called my wife to help me look for more money to borrow, and she got another N130000. As usual my driver went to the same location to drop the money". "Right there, that midnight , they burnt his motorcycle and took his handset, saying the money was not complete". "They called me that same night and urged me to bring the balance, and that was when I decided to risk going to the police. ". Indeed, the police blamed me for not reporting earlier. This time however, the police arranged that what was put inside the envelop was ordinary paper and not money". "Again, my driver dropped some money around 9pm, and a few seconds after, this boy came for the money and was immediately arrested. At that point, he started crying and confessed that it was a boy, Testimony, who used to live with me, that was his accomplice.". "I came to know Testimony through a choirmaster in my church who brought him to me. Shortly after Testimony came, things started to 'grow wings,' and we were missing many things unlike before.". "I did all I could for Testimony. I sent him to the university for his diploma, but he refused to change. He kept on stealing, so I sent him out of my house. He now went and formed a gang to threaten my life and the lives of members of my family, intimidating me to collect money from me. The police were my savior". "If not for this, I would never ever have believed in the police. I never knew the police could go to this extent to burst a crime". I thank God!".
The following are the excerpts of the text messages Oghalese received:
"Hello Mr! How are you doing, we are from secret memba. Just to inform you that right now you are about to gone for failure to cooperate. This are your details. You live in Gowon Estate 311 road, No 16b close Egbeda. Your name is Mr James Oghale. How was your friend health Ayo. You travel on Wednesday, we are on the road waiting for you. You drove Camry milk color, but I told my guys to calm for now because you are honest on your own and don't want to waste your life like that because of your kids, but failure to co-operate you will be gone. The cooperation is to pay the money today. Send your driver to carry the money come meet us at Federal Junction by 10.15pm. The sum is N300,000, is that clear?".......
"Hi Mr James, you refused to cooperate, you and your driver are playing men over here because of change. I knew you have seen someone backing you up with jaz, but I promise you that you and your driver are not save this week. Failure to get you, you are putting your family into risk. We fixed day to cut you off. Man expect danger soon"........
"Mr James today is Thursday, pick up this call and let us know your mind. Bye for now."......
The man who was nabbed, when he went to pick up the money, "Gbadebo Ahmed" told journalists his own story. According to him : "I am 21 years old. I work in a supermarket at Egbeda. I came across my partner recently, not long ago. He used to come to our supermarket and I am the one who issued him receipts whenever he bought things from our supermarket." He it was who brought me into this matter. The first time I went to pick the money at the place where they dropped it, I got a share of N30000. I did not know the amount inside the envelope. He did the negotiations. I go to pick up the money at the designated places where we ask our victims to drop it. I used my share of the first amount to buy a Central Processing Unit for my self, because I have a monitor". He continued: "My partner's name is Testimony. He brought the second job at night on 14th August. He asked me to follow him to Federal Junction around Egbeda and I did. We took a motorbike. I knew what the 'game' was that night, but I did not know that the police would catch us." When we got to the junction, he gave me our victim's number, and instructed me to call him and order him to drop the money. I called the man and said to him: "Drop the money and leave there immediately". He did, and when we rushed with the bike to pick up the money, the police came out and arrested me".
Lagos State Police spokesman, Mr Frank Mba, said police are alarmed at the rate at which criminals threaten unsuspecting Nigerians in order to extort money from them. He said: "I have received several telephone calls from editors of big media houses in this country telling me about people who send threat text messages to them, demanding money. Other Nigerians have fallen victim of this too. Their demands are usually accompanied by threats. Their demands can come in terms of outright phone calls, or text messages. Sometimes, they just scribble a note and drop it somewhere either in front of your house or slip it into your car. Their lines are usually "that someone has commissioned them to assassinate you" or someone has commissioned them to do one or two things to harm you. "It comes with a lot of psychological torture and harassment. They instill fear in you. Sometimes the victims become paranoid, and they develop some form of phobia for phone calls. "We have repeatedly said that people must always watch their backs. People must be conscious of who they bring into their houses. This scammer was taken into the house by the victims, who out of sympathy, wanted to help him and contribute to his development. Now see what he has done, and how he has repaid his benefactors with evil." He further stated that Gbadebo would be taken to court that Wednesday
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