Cynthia Osokogu left her Nasarawa base on July 22, 2012 with the aim of improving her boutique business. Months before this trip she had met with two undergraduates on the popular social network Facebook, unfortunately, the fate of this unsuspecting 24 year old postgraduate student had already been decided by her presumed Facebook buddies.
The only daughter of General Frank Osokogu’s plane landed in Lagos and was picked up by these terrible individuals who drove her to a hotel in Festac town in order to elaborate on the business proposal which they had been discussing the last few months.
Cynthia was drugged and afterwards strangled while these daredevils made away with an undisclosed amount of money, her ID card and her phones after which they notified the hotel authorities that there was a corpse in one of their rooms. The hotel with no clue of identification deposited the body at the Isolo General Hospital.
The families raised alarm after several days of no contact with Cynthia, police authorities were notified and contact numbers were served to the public for anyone who had useful information about her whereabouts.
Luck ran out of the crooks when one of them picked up one of her phones. The phone was traced Festac where the criminals were apprehended. After interrogation it was discovered that Cynthia wasn’t their only victim, they specialize in luring and duping unsuspecting rich women of their money.
This story is a sad one but is also a wakeup call for us makeup artists, entrepreneurs and all women in general. It dawned on me how open and vulnerable we women entrepreneurs are and it leaves room for worry.I am writing this piece as a warning as we approach the “ EMBER “ months when ritual killings and Kidnapping are rampant because of those evil people who want to make quick money.
I particularly remember last year when a supposed client called me up to meet her at Apple Junction close to Festac , I asked her to give me the exact address. She refused and insisted that I get to Apple junction, call her and she would pick me up, what unnerved me was that she said she was ready to pay any amount for my services. I told her politely that I would not be able to make it as she refused to give me the address and that I felt uneasy about the whole arrangement, her response in her words “ God save you ooo”, I just laughed.
The morale of the story is simple and clear:
1) Pray before you take any job and don’t ignore your instinct especially if you feel uneasy about a client.
2) Never go anywhere without having the exact address of the place you are going especially for out-of-state jobs.
3) When you are there and the address changes, immediately notify someone close to you, a simple SMS will suffice.
4) Share some of your dealings with someone close to you.
5) Be weary of people who pop out of the blues and desperately want to be your friends.
6) Share as little personal information on social networks as possible.
7) Be weary of who you add on your blackberry.
8) Request your payment before you go for any job guarantees to the extent their genuineness.
9) The IG numbers and other police hotline numbers are readily available, get them.
May God Continue to Protect and Guide us all. Amen
Till my next post,
Much Love,
Much Love,
Misidreads.
Wow @ ur festac xperience. Her response ” God save you oo” sent shivers down my spine. I declare God s protection, guidance and even wisdom for us all in Jesus name. Tnks for d tips… Helpful esp d part abt getting d full address.
Well said.Ladies should be careful with their way of life on facebook n blackberry.if anybody is introducing u to a business,go online and google to know d origin of such businesses and how many other reps ‘r in it. Its so sad that most pple use social networks to chat and meet pple,they hardly use it to enlighten themselves.
Thanks for this piece Yemisi,God bless.
Thanks sooo very much for this post and thank GOD for the wisdom bestowed upon u to refuse that offer.good one dear! Lamide
Thank for taking out time to read the post, to all my beautiful sisters out there Note: Face book or Twitter is not your personal diary or journal stop posting all your daily activity online, learn to be discreet.
A word is enough for the wise.
And i have to add that the Social network isn’t the real enemy – people and their misdirected zeal to be real & bare it all on a virtual platform is the problem that i see in most cases. @misykona has said it all, keep your private life private, period. God be with us all, amen.
Lord Foulgrin: “You must not let him see Charis as a place of learning, exploration, duties, travel, companionship, banquets, celebrations, and productive work. A low view of heaven is our ace in the hole.” (conspiring to bring Fletcher down after salvation)
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