The Phone Thief

7. Market Thieves

They crossed the road and Abubakar stopped a Keke Napep.

"Bompai" Adam told the keke rider.

"Your house is at Bompai?" Abubakar asked Adam, surprised.

"Yes" Adam replied as he entered the keke.

Soon as they entered, Adam started the explanation on the different types of market thieves. "There are four types of thieves in most markets. There are those that use charms. They have amulets or stuff like that. This thieves have no problem with the probability of being caught since they are using magical powers to steal. When they are taking something from your pocket, you will never feel it. And let's say you saw them moving away with your property, the moment they take a turn, they'll disappear. This isn't fairy tale. Some of them will ask you for what they want, and you'll give them yourself and watch them walk away. You can't help it. Its just the power of magic.

The second type are the con artists, we call them 419ners. They are mostly people that look responsible. Lets say you're a wholesaler of a particular product. They wouldn't steal from you on the first day. They'll come as customers. They'll buy your products in high quantity let's say, stock of N1m and pay in cash several times. In so doing, they are trying to establish trust with you. They'll become one of your most trusted customers. And the products when they buy it, they'll take it to someone who sells that product, mostly a retailer. That person also is someone who doesn't know them. They'll sell it to them slightly above market price. Normally, the retailer will refuse to buy because the price is higher than the market value. So they will then give them at market price or even below market price. If the retailer said he doesn't have money, they'll give it to him on credit...."I will come back in two weeks to collect the money" they'll say. They wouldn't come till after three or four weeks. When the retailer ask them why they didn't come after the two weeks, they'll say they have been traveling a lot to places within and outside Nigeria. They'll collect the money, come back to you and buy more, higher quantity every time they return. This time, let's say of N1.3m. Next time, it will be N1.5. And mind you, they are dealing with several people like you at the same time. They will do all it takes to make you and retailer trust them.

So after establishing trust with the wholesaler and the retailer, a day will come when they will do the heist. The 419ner will tell the retailer that he is bringing super quality products and this time, he (the retailer)had to pay half the costs before supply. The retailer will give the thief the money. The thief will call you (the wholesaler) and ask you to keep aside stock of N3m for him. After something like three days, he will go to the market with a bigger bag of money. When he is with you, he will make a call and ask someone to meet him there. When the other person come, the 419ner will bring out like N500k from the bag and give the man while the you watch. Then he will tell the wholesaler that he will be going to see someone and will be back in less than an hour and that the same person who use to collect the stock will come in a moment to collect the N3m stock. Then he'll take the bag of money and give you to keep for him safely. He'll say "Alhaji please keep this bag for me safely. I don't want to be moving around in the market with money. I will take less than an hour, when I'm back, I will make the payment, if Muazu come for the stock before I'm back, give him".
Then he will leave, and shortly after, Muazu will come for the stock and you'll give him. Once you give Muazu that stock of N3m, you'll never see the customer(419ner) again. When the wholesaler opens the money bag, he'll find anything but money. Done. That's just one scenario out of hundreds.

The third category are thieves who steal from shops or stores when no one is watching. Bastards.

The fourth category are pickpockets. They steal from people especially in crowds. This thieves go in groups. They are very sharp, smart and swift. If by any means one of them failed to steal from someone, he will either use a marker to make a mark at the back of the victim or notify another thief next to him about his failure to steal from the man. The mark made at the back of the victim will only tell another thief that the man has been unsuccessfully stolen from and the next thief in line will also try his luck. If he is successful, he will tell the other thieves that that particular mission has been accomplished. The idiots are usually well trained." Adam stopped talking.

Abubakar was about to say something when Adam said "drop us here".

They disembarked. Adam paid the keke rider disregarding the bizarre looks being shot at him by the keke rider.

Abubakar was busy examining the houses around.

"What are you looking at" Adam asked.

"Why do we have to drop here, where is the house? Abubakar muttered.

"Its right behind you" Adam said, smiling.

Abubakar opened his mouth agape. What was behind him was a mansion -the type that the richest people in town build. There were no people around and there was no sign of human life in the house. Everywhere was quiet. Adam produced a key from his pocket "let's go" he started moving towards the house.

"No it can't be your house, and am not going in" Abubakar backed off.