----Customers call out Aswani Market Association, police station, Lagos state government to nip crime in the bud .
One has heard stories of persons being trafficked in the desert hiding their money in their anus and sanitary pads but reports about traders and customers in a market hiding their money in their private body parts indeed shows how horribly bad the security situation among traders and customers in Aswani market Lagos Nigeria.
Investigations reveal that traders and customers resorted to hiding their money in their bodies as they see this as the ‘’safest bank’’ when they are in Aswani market due to series of encounters they had with robbers who disguised as fellow customers or traders but their intentions is to target genuine customers and rob them of their hard earned money they brought to the market and from traders who have made sales .
To this end, investigations reveal that carrying a handbag, a purse or a sack to Aswani market – a market which opens majorly every Tuesdays in Lagos is a novice way to enter the market as those who are familiar with happenings in the market know that the number one module is not to slack, loose guard of as there are robbers lurking about targeting customers and traders to steal their money and sometimes goods at the slightest opportunity.
Narrating how she was robbed in Aswani market on August 20th , a housewife who identified herself as madam Bola had visited the market from Ogun state said her bag was snatched right where she was purchasing some clothes. She added that she lost her phone and other items however, it is the swiftness of the crime that baffles her .
She said ‘’ I went to Aswani market to buy some clothes . I went there from Ogun state . You can imagine how early I would have left my house so as to get to the market . I got to the stand where I saw some clothes I liked . All the while, my handbag was held around my neck so as to prevent anyone from snatching it because that is how many customers to Aswani market keep their bags away from thieves . Since I wanted to try some clothes on, I removed my bag and hung it inside the umbrella I was standing with the woman selling the clothes . I was right inside the umbrella and my bag was hanging over my head . As soon as I was done with selecting the clothes I liked, I looked up to take my handbag but the bag was not there . I was shocked and I asked the woman I was in her stand if she removed my handbag but she said no. At that moment, I became scared because my phone, my purse, my ATM cards and other valuables were inside that bag. I quickly tried to call my phone number with another person’s phone so we can trail the thief but to no avail. I had to quickly run to the bank to withdraw all my money and block my account. But I could not block my Opay account but the money I had there was not that much. I am still in shock and wandering how someone can come to the market to steal and the person can be that fast. The thief went away with my phone and other valuables but thank God I reacted fast to stop them from empting my account ‘’.
Narrating another theft that she witnessed while lamenting her ordeal that same day in the market, Madam Bola said ‘’ When I came back to the market after I had gone to the bank , I noticed that a lady was wailing. She has become a victim of robbery too. She said her iphone was stolen from her bag. She was lamenting bitterly over the theft of her phone. I felt sorry for her . I started hearing series of robbery incidences in the market . From one sad tale to the other of how robbers have turned Aswani market to a hot bed for their crime and customers and traders have to device means to keep them from stealing their money .
Investigation by this newspaper reveals how traders and customers keep their money safe while in the market .
A customer mama Joy said ‘’ I have my way of keeping my money safe from robbers in Aswani market . I learnt about it after I was robbed of my hard earned money in the market . I learnt that customers hide their money by rolling the money into a cloth and inserting it between their legs as if they wore sanitary pads or they wear undies with pockets which they hide their money in their bodies . I started doing that too and since then my money has been safe . Also, I do not bring bag or phone to Aswani market because you will instantly be targeted by these robbers. The robbers in Aswani market I guess are more than the traders and customers from the experiences I heard. The Aswani market association and the Aswani police station behind the market need to find a way to stop the robbers as these robbers are making shopping in the market a sad experience for many’’.
Speaking about her experience , a customer Madam Grace said ‘’ I brought a sister to the Aswani market to buy bedspreads . I was happy to take her there and she had withdrawn some money about N35,000 which she kept in her purse. We went to the stands and bought the bedspreads but while she was inspecting the goods, she left her purse on the clothes . When she was done inspecting the clothes and she was about to pay, she started looking for her purse. I was standing right there and other buyers too and we did not know how the purse was removed . She was very sad and I was sad too because I was the one that encouraged her to come to Aswani market . All our efforts to get the person that took the purse was abortive. She left the market that day without buying those bedspreads and since then she had not stepped her foot inside that market, same for me too, since that experience, I have not gone back to Aswani market for anything. Government should do something to stop those spoiling the market.’’
Another customer from Ibadan Oyo state said Mrs Yemisi Joel said ‘’ I go to aswani market to buy goods to bring to Ibadan to sell. I was a victim so I learnt in the hard way that carrying a handbag to Aswani market is a big mistake as those robbers will cut your bag and snatch it right under your nose when you are engrossed with your purchase , or moving from one stand to the other . I do not take my phone to that market and I dress shabbily so as not to attract the robbers. I hide my money in my body or in some cases, I will ask the trader to send someone with me to the bank so I can withdraw and hand over the money to the person to bring to her . I do not make the mistake of taking a bag , ATM card to that market . I have seen a situation where after they stole a customer’s bag, the robbers will remove the clothes they wore , probably they have worn two or more clothes, as soon as they have stolen , let us say the thief wore a black top and is putting on face cap, as soon as he or she steals the purse or bag of a customer, they will remove their clothes , like if they are wearing a black top and face cap, they will quickly remove the black clothes and put on a red clothe and remove the face cap . So if the victim is busy looking for a person that stole from her or him, they will be looking for someone wearing a cap and a black top whereas, the thief had changed his appearance to avoid being detected and apprehended , you Aswani market and find a solution to nip the crime rate in the bud permanently ‘’.
When contacted for their reaction to the cases of robberies in the market, the Lagos state police command ‘s spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin did not reply a Whatapp message to his phone .
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