By Mustapha Aleem
A man in his early fifties, was arrested by the Police in Osun for allegedly defrauding some livestock traders in Ogo-oluwa area of Osogbo, Osun state on Thursday.
The man, who identified himself simply as Taiwo, was alleged to have sold fake germicide to the traders at the rate of 5,500 naira.
One of the victims, Alhaja Abiola Arowolo, told our correspondent that the man had sold the germicide, which he claimed was effective for all animals, for 5,500 naira when they discovered the content was only green peas with his own germicide brand on it. She added that the man had also duped his mother before then.
Another trader, Mrs. Mary Okon, who claimed to have been swindled by the man some two years ago, said the first day he saw the man, he was with ambivalence over the product he advertised to me, saying the man eventually connived with an old man to defraud her of 25,000 naira.
According to her, “I was seated in my shop some two years ago when this man came to introduce to me his germicide. He asked him to be his supplier in Oshogbo, which I declined. After several appeals he was able to convince me that there are markets for the germicide. I was not fully interested in the proposals but he dropped a smaller size of his product on my table for display.
“At about 4pm of that same day, an old man came to my shop for a sachet water. After selling to him he saw the germicide and told me he was interested in it. He said he was always travelling to Lagos before he could it that he would be glad if I could sell five longer pieces of the germicide. I never knew they were working together and eventually I ordered five pieces, which I paid for on that day.
“After the payment, I called his number to inform him that the man who wanted to buy germicides had not showed up but he did not pick his calls until two today, which marks the second year after I was defrauded.”
The woman said she was able to know of the man’s presence when a news got to her that some other people were almost duped in her area.
When asked for his position on the allegations against him, Taiwo said he had only sold germicides to the women when he was accused of selling fake products.
He claimed to have come from Lagos state on behalf one Arese Nigeria Limited, which is also based in Lagos, saying he visited Osun periodically on personal selling mission.
He was however handed over to the Police in Osun state for further investigation on the matter.
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