Don't
change money at Lagos
airport's entrance
This
is a great warning to everyone both foreign tourists and business visitors to Lagos, please under no
circumstance should you change money from those who hang around the front of
Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.
It
was just like a dream to one of my friends who we met peradventure at the Lagos
Airport Hotel on Saturday, 3 December, 2011.
For
long time friends to meet after 20 years deserves celebration, so we made an
appointment for 7.30 pm.
At
7:30 p.m we met at the reception of the hotel and we decided to cross the road
to feel the pulse of Lagos
just away from the comfort of our hotel rooms.
As
we strolled outside the gate of the Airport hotel, Kunle realised that the few
naira notes on him might not be enough for the evening fun.
As
he muted the idea of changing a few foreign currency on him, I told him to let
us go back into the hotel for the transaction because I remember that the
management always warn guests not to transact business with those who hang on
the road in front of the hotel.
But
Kunle's response was that since he was changing a few pounds, he needs no fear
of a little change that would go into the hands of these scoundrels.
I
concurred with him.
As
I was telling him the management's warning, a middle aged man appeared from a
triangular round- about on the left of the hotel asking whether we wanted to
change money.
We
nodded in affirmation.
He
then asked us to come close to the side of the Total Petrol Station.
We
asked him how much is a pound to naira, he said N255, which I said should be
N260.
He
did not agree, but rather called one Alhaji who agreed to N260.
At
this point, four of these scoundrels had surrounded us. One took a calculator
and came to the conclusion that the 50 pounds would be N13,000.00. He brought
out a bale of N500 naira notes, counted 25 notes and handed it over to Kunle
who counted the money only to find out that it was less by one.
Angrily,
I said, "You people have been dubbed fraudsters. That is why everyone has
been warned not to transact business with you." We never knew we were in
for a big surprise.
With
apology, he got the money back, counted it and he found out that it was less by
a note.
He
offered apology again and added the less note, while one of them remarked that
the man who counted the money is not good at mathematics.
We
crossed the road to a supermarket opposite the hotel where Kunle wanted to pick
some toiletries.
As
he was about paying, he realised that the N13,000.00 was short of N5,000.00.
"We
have been duped," Kunle exclaimed.
"What?"
I asked. Then, the Hotel management's warning which I had earlier told Kunle
popped up in my mind. But it was not the best of time to rehearse it."
We
explained to the supermarket attendant what had happened to us and he reeled
out examples of many incidences of such bizarre practices by the fraudsters who
always hang around the entry of Lagos Airport Hotel as money changers.
He
told us of a case of another victim who was duped the same way to the tune of
sum N250,000.00. The guy, a military officer, came back and killed one of them.
We
were cleverly duped. And many have been fleeced probably with diabolic means by
these fraudsters hanging outside the entering gate of Lagos Airport Hotel.
Many
are on their way to be duped by these scoundrels and you should not be among
them.
However,
will these people go on with this evil act with impunity?
Where
is our law enforcement agencies? The police must rise to the occasion.
Once
again, please, and please, never change money outside the vicinity of Lagos
Airport Hotel.
A
word is enough for the wise.
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