Confessions of a Lagos Yahoo Boy

 

My birthday was fast approaching & I had made up my mind to quit all forms of internet scam afterwards but like every other habit, it wasn’t easy to drop. I was making more money now than I ever did, all my clients were paying like they were spellbound. I couldn’t just turn away from all that money! The devil surely has his ways of keeping us in his team. I wasn’t going to let him win this battle though.

I was fairly regular in church in the past, I attended mass at least twice a month but I became more involved, attending sunday mass more frequently, made anonymous donations, I even went for confession. I drew closer to God because I realised my love for money wasn’t easy to drop & I needed spiritual help and guidance. The harder I tried to leave the game, the more money I made. Clients I hadn’t spoken to in months began to reconnect.

One of them Belinda Wagen, who was the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of a major company in Australia, was in her late forties & married to a billionaire when we met online but she was having marital issues so I insisted she finalised her divorce before we got into anything serious. She duly obliged and then I insisted she got rid of the diamond ring her husband gave her, so as to erase any form of reminder. She agreed to let go, so I convinced her to send the ring to me instead to help her dispose. I got a contact in the UK who sold the ring for $70,000!

She kept on paying me for months despite several attempts by her friends and family to discourage her from doing so. She believed I was real. Poor Belinda. Don’t be too quick to tag her as gullible because I had a pretty tight game. I could easily scam you too. Wouldn’t you believe a person is real if you saw him/her via webcam, spoke with his mom, account officer, saw his account statement, signed contract documents? Knowing what you now know, you would disagree but trust me, everybody is a potential client.

After about 8 months, Belinda was finally convinced I was a fraud, mainly because I had refused to meet with her. She arranged several meetings in different countries & in each of them I pulled a no show. Deeply hurt, she stopped contacting me & all efforts I made to contact her proved abortive. It felt like she left earth. For over 6 months, we had no form of contact whatsoever, so imagine my surprise when I received an email from her just days before my birthday.

She claimed she was still in love with me and couldn’t let go. Although I was a bit sceptical about her sudden reappearance, I found myself in a dilemma, caught between letting go or reconnecting with her, knowing fully well I stood to make millions if I did the latter. It was a hard decision to make but my greed triumphed over my conscience. In hindsight, I should have followed my conscience but life doesn’t come with a rewind button, does it?

So I reconnected with her and we got talking. We agreed to a meeting again but this time around I arranged the location. I decided we went on a vacation to Kwala Lumpur, Malaysia. I chose Malaysia because I had contacts over there who would help me play a long con on her dubbed ‘wash-wash’ in street terms. Wash-Wash is a form of scam in which you meet the clients in person and convince them to part with their money. It involves greater risks but even greater reward.

Belinda wanted us to meet before or on my birthday (I use my real birthday on my scam profile) because she wanted to spend the day with me. She said she would plan something romantic for me but I insisted on meeting after. I had put in too much time & expenses into planning my birthday bash here in Nigeria to abandon it for a trip to Malaysia, so I scheduled the meeting for the weekend after my birthday.

Prior to our initial ‘break-up’, Belinda and I were making plans to buy a property in any of the exotic islands around the world. We were both going to contribute equal sums to buy the property, so I restarted the plan. I convinced her to bring her share to Malaysia so we could buy the property. It was this sum I had planned to take from her via wash-wash.

Having made all the necessary arrangements for my trip to Malaysia, I channelled all my efforts into throwing the party of the year…

 

OC again???!

This dude was slowly becoming a boogeyman in my life. The last time I saw him was at a show at Eko Hotel & Towers, I had to boycott the red carpet just to avoid him & we’ve managed to avoid each other all this while, so why have our paths decided to cross now? First thing that came to my mind was Karma? Was the bitch about to fuck me up? I didn’t wanna find out, so I hung up and turned to my friends to explain to them why the collaboration with R-Bay was a no go. They were all aware of my previous encounter with OC so I didn’t have to say much

ME: Omo, we go find someone else feature on that track o

ABEL: or make someone else call the OC guy instead

ME: Good idea but what if OC find out say I dey involved in one way or the other? The dude go definitely sabotage the collabo & fit mess with SK career.

OSAGIE: Say wetin happen? Bad as e bad, you go fuck am na, doggy style!

We all laughed

ME: God punish you

OSAGIE: Na you God go punish na. You wey blackmail your fellow man because him wan fuck you, whereas you dey fuck people daughters & sisters

We all laughed again. Osagie was a comical character, a jester. He always found a way to make every situation funny. He never took life seriously. He was one of those peeps who’d easily excel in stand-up comedy but have failed to realise his potential. No matter how serious a subject, Osagie would make jokes out of it.

SK: Na R-Bay I for like make him jump on that track. He’s perfectly suited for the beat and tempo of the track.

ME: Yeah, I agree with you SK. R-Bay for murder the track but as it stands, make we no risk your career. There are other good singers out there

ABEL: I agree 100% with Theo. Its not worth the risk. Make we find someone else abeg.

OSAGIE: Better still, make Theo go fuck the guy, him fit make R-Bay run the collabo free of charge.

After much deliberation, we decided to get another artiste to feature on the track. We settled for Mac T, a rapper this time around and made all the necessary contacts & arrangements. The future was looking really bright & glossy for SK & Got Money Music. My pals even encouraged me to pursue a career of my own in music but at that time, I had lost the drive and passion, so I insisted on remaining behind the scenes.

I only had passion for making money, that’s what a taste of the good life does to you. When you’re broke, you think making a little cheddar would satisfy you but sadly human wants are unlimited & insatiable, so the more money made, the more you desired. Even the great Notorious B.I.G. said more money, more problems. Ever wondered why billionaires still bother to work? As a matter of fact they’re the most hardworking set of human beings. I believe we’ve all read certain materials that advise us to ‘work smart’ rather than ‘work hard’ but what they fail to tell us is that there’s a lot of hardwork that goes into working smart. So I call myself a ‘smart hardworker’, translated in street terms as a ‘sharp guy’.

I was collecting over $50,000 monthly but knew fraud wouldn’t sustain me for the rest of my life, so I began to invest but first I began to read, broaden my horizon. I’ve always known not to invest in a business I didn’t possess sufficient info & understanding, an advice I got early from my dad. I remember how he made me study the capital market daily on page 20 of Vanguard newspaper & then asked me to write down a list of companies I would like to own shares in. So I studied motivational and financial books and speeches. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the ‘Rich Dad Series’ was my favourite. I also read books like ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ by George Samuel Clason and ‘Think Big’ by Ben Carson. Behind these pages I found the secret to success.

So, I was leading a successful life that promised even greater success. I was gradually withdrawing from the life of fraud and heading towards more legitimate climes. By this time, I had registered my haulage company under the name of Rollo Ventures. I had about 3 Mack trucks and a dredger and I also built a 20-room hostel in Abraka. Business was indeed good.

It’s amazing the ease with which I made so much money, My friends would say “oil dey your head”, so I often wonder why peeps involve themselves in yahoo plus! For those that are not aware, one is said to be involved in YAHOO PLUS when he uses diabolical means to dupe his clients or offers rituals to a certain deity to aid his scheme. It is sad really, the height of ignorance and laziness shown by such lads. Many have sacrificed their loved ones in the name of yahoo plus, while others have sold their souls to the devil.

I recall asking one of my friends who partake in this act, his reason for doing so & he replied with an intriguing question. In his words “if you die now, will you make heaven? If I die now, will I make heaven? The answer is no. So we’re both going to the same place, whether I do yahoo plus or not”. I pondered on that statement for a while and realised I wasn’t really better than him in the eyes of God. Now I’m beginning to sound spiritual! You would too if you’ve been to places I have been.

I have visited several shrines in the past. I once accompanied a friend of mine to see a native doctor in a village at Agenebode, Edo state. There he was made to bathe with water from a basket, walk into a pond with a crocodile in it and tell the crocodile exactly what he needed. I was amazed! Seeing they say is believing and I have seen with my eyes. I recall accompanying another set of friends to a white garment priest in the Ijebu area. The ‘Baba’, as he was addressed, asked them to bring pictures of their clients so he would ‘pray’ and anything they told their clients, they’d obey without objection.

I guess you might be wondering why I accompanied these so called friends without partaking in the act myself. Truth be told, it was my intention to join the party but whenever we got there I changed my mind. I didn’t have the balls to walk into a pond with a live crocodile in it, neither was I comfortable with a Baba praying for me, knowing fully well there’d be repercussions. At the end of the day, I realized I didn’t need such aid to excel in the art of fraud. As a matter of fact, I’ve made more money than most of them, they only show off & spend theirs more recklessly.

I was struggling with my conscience each time I made money from fraud, so I made up my mind to quit the act after my forthcoming birthday and focus solely on my legit ventures. A better life awaits me once I turn legit or so I thought…

I would love to describe my sexual romp with Bose and Sandra in explicit details but I’d save that for another story. Bose satisfied all my sexual fantasies, from role playing to gang banging. We had several threesome sessions and on one occasion, a foursome, with Osagie the fourth party.

Osagie, like me, was a ladies man, hardworking, dedicated and one of the smartest dudes I’ve known. Within months of relocating to Lagos, he had over 3 paying clients & several potential clients. Individually, we were all successful. Sola was an aspiring musician with immense talent, so we all decided to set up a record label, to create a platform on which he could promote his music & this gave birth to GMM (Got Money Music).

Sola dropped his first official single under the stage name S.K and we all travelled to South Africa for the video shoot. Sandton is famed to be 1 of the most expensive cities in Africa and it lived up to the hype. We called up a few of our buddies who resided in SA & we made our presence felt.

Yoruba women are famous for their large bosoms but theirs would pale when compared to that of South African women. The ladies possessed the kinda ass that would make Nicki Minaj feel inferior. I got one hottie Thandi who was all over me our entire stay. I didn’t mind the attention though, she is the sexiest chic I’ve ever been with till date.

I found it amazing that in South Africa, Nigerian men are hot property. The girls swoon over us much to the chagrin of South African men. I asked Thandi why this was so and she explained to me that South African men are lazy, always waiting for government handouts and stingy, so they can’t take care of their women, whereas the Nigerian men come here with nothing and make a way for themselves. Plus South African men have got really small dicks! She said a Nigerian man would give you money for a new weave and take you shopping unlike their South African counterparts.

If I can recall correctly, I met Thandi at a club called Hush. She had come with two of her friends in company of some South African lads. They sat at the table across from ours and their lads were drinking beer, while we had several bottles of champagne. They kept staring at us with awe and lust, so we invited them over to our table. When they joined us, the guys they came with got really pissed, so we invited them as well. They got drunk on our tab, while we left with their girls!

Sandton, Johannesburg is a beautiful city, a lot better than any city in Nigeria, with constant electricity and functional basic amenities, it was indeed alluring. I even contemplated relocating from Nigeria. I can’t remember whose idea it was, mine or Thandi’s but it was certainly on my mind. The only glitch we had during our stay was the harassment we suffered in the hands of the South african police. We were out driving one day when the cops asked us to pullover. We obeyed. They asked us all to step out from the car, searched us thoroughly, then they seized our passports and interrogated us like criminals.

One of our buddies, Big Ron, who was resident in SA had visa issues, so they placed us under arrest but instead of taking us to the station, they drove us to Big Ron’s crib and began to search his house and luggages while I stood there wondering what they hoped to find. One of the officers said he knew we were all fraudsters. This assumption, although true, got me irritated so I asked the officer

ME: You concluded we’re all fraudsters because we’re Nigerians?

OFFICER: Yes. You leave your country to come here to perpetrate your evil.

He replied while going through Big Ron’s bags

ME: So all Nigerians are fraudsters?

OFFICER: No, not all of them. Some are drug dealers, while others are thieves.

ME: Ok, we’re thieves, fraudsters and drug dealers, at least we’re making money, but South Africans are too lazy to hustle so they would rather be rapists and junkies.

At this point, my friends were all urging me to calm down, so I chilled. I’m not one to stand by and watch my reputation being thrown to the mud. The officers ransacked his luggages and left with his valuables, including cash, wristwatches, perfumes and several pairs of jeans and we thought our Nigerian Police are corrupt!

This was the height of corruption, gross abuse of power! I was livid but Big Ron told me it was one of those things, he called it ‘paying his dues’. He said it was either that or deportation and he wasn’t ready to return to 9ja. He said they would return from time to time, now that they know where he lives, so he would have to find a new apartment. At that moment, I knew I couldn’t live there.

SK’s video shoot was a huge success, delivered by the ever capable Godfather. It was a work of art unlike most of the generic videos we see on TV these days.
So we returned to Nigeria with high hopes of taking the music industry by storm.

Within days of our return from South Africa, SK’s single was premiered on every major entertainment hub in the country and was receiving heavy rotation on radio. The single was well received but lacked the desired class to place Sola on the map. So we decided to do a remix with a renowned star.

We came up with a shortlist of several big names in the industry but had to settle for the yoruba hit maker R-Bay. So I got his management details and placed a call to his manager. There was no answer to the first call, so I tried again. After the first few rings, a voice came through from the other end

“Hello! It’s OC Daniels, how may I help you?”

OC???!!!

MONEY!!!

Money they say makes the world go round. You can’t really appreciate wealth unless you’ve had a taste of poverty. I wasn’t exactly poor but I was unemployed, with no tangible source of income and no real sense of direction. Now I had more money than I ever dreamed of having at that age. Growing up, I wanted to be a Petrochemical Engineer (not that I knew what it meant then, it just sounded fancy to me), instead I found myself having to dupe people for a living. Not an ideal choice of career but boy it pays!

I can remember vividly the day I made my 1st million, I called up my very good friend Osagie to share the news with him. As a matter of fact, the only person close to me I didn’t share the news with was my dad. He would have interrogated me like a detective and probably handed me over to the EFCC himself!

Like every other youth who made money early, I spoilt myself silly. I bought myself a Range Rover Sport, a Rolex wristwatch, several gold chains & other expensive accessories. I was living life to the fullest, did all my shopping abroad. I moved out of Abel’s mansion & rented a flat along Fatai Arobieke Street, Lekki Phase 1.

I was under no pressure to leave Abel’s house but I didn’t want to overstay my welcome. Its human nature, we can only aid another person for so long after which we expect them to find their own way. Even a child has to leave his father’s house one day. If you dare linger you gradually become a liability and trust me, nobody wants a permanent liability.

With that in mind, I moved into my posh abode, a 3 bedroom serviced apartment. My friend Osagie (also a yahoo boy), an indigene of Edo state relocated from Benin to stay with me. Like Abel, he was my childhood friend. We attended same primary and secondary schools but while I went to Igbinedion University, he studied Engineering at the University of Benin. Sola my friend from festac would come around on most weekends. Together with Abel we formed a crew of some sort and painted the town red. Pardon the cliche but we did paint the town! We had VIP lounges on shut down on numerous occasions and gradually became notorious on the club scene especially on the island.

To be Continued!!!!

 

METRO

Catching fun, especially at night, has become a habit for many fun seekers in Lagos. For such people, the prominent places where they choose to catch their fun at night include bars and strip clubs. The go-to place for those who love to turn their X-rated fantasies into realities is usually the strip club. But strip clubs are not easy places to spot in Lagos, except if the fun seeker knows how to look beyond the surface. So, it could be difficult to locate one as there are no eligible signs to advertise their locations, so it is normally a case of, ‘if you know, you know.’

Although there are choice strip clubs, both on the Island and the mainland; for the mainland, the clubs’ colonies seem to be Allen Avenue and the Government Reservation Area, Ikeja. To spot one, fun seekers only look out for a neon sign or an electronic advertising sign with flickering lights, usually coloured blue and red with what appears to be the drawing of a naked woman.

Funnily enough, Ikeja is the commercial hub of Lagos during the day and also at night. With banks and other business firms situated in the district, human and vehicular traffic in the area during the day is usually heavy and at night, it still comes alive courtesy of the bright lights which seem to focus on the pubs, clubs and even commercial sex workers that conduct their business on the streets.

To a large extent, Ikeja is the red-light district of Lagos State.

Around one of the popular streets in GRA, Ikeja is a popular strip club. While most businesses have locked their doors and closed for the day by 9 pm, that is the time this establishment is resuming for the business of the night, and it takes it right until the following morning.

When our source visited the establishment at about 9:30 pm on Wednesday, it was obvious that the ‘shop’ had just opened. Within minutes, the vast compound, which has a large space as its car park, was quickly filled with exotic cars; a testament to the class of people the joint caters for.

It is therefore not surprising that to get into the club as a man on Saturdays; their peak period, a fee of N5,000 is required and on Sundays, the price drops to N3,000. While the ladies pay N3,000 on Saturday and N2,000 on Sundays. Other days are free but the hefty men at the gate never forget to politely ask: ‘Sir, anything for your boy even if na one bottle of beer?’ Invariably, visitors are sometimes forced to part with money and since it is a high-end club, the bouncers at the door normally smile home.

A worker at the club, who simply identified himself as Tony, and has been working there for about six months, described his life as exciting on Saturdays and Sundays during the peak hours because men are always happy to part with some ‘change’ (money), knowing they would enjoy their time at the club.

“Bros, during the peak period, I go home with at least N10,000 because most of these big boys either tip me N500 or N1,000. Most times when they are leaving, they are already tipsy and since they must have had a nice time inside the club, they are always happy to part with some money,” he said.

A glance at the inside of the club and it would be evident that the interior decorators put a lot of efforts into the thought process that bore the design. The loft was the size of half of an indoor basketball court, but with a boxing ring theme.

The colour of the wallpaper or paint was difficult to ascertain, no thanks to the plethora of disco lights; however, the loft was properly ventilated as there were no fewer than 20 air conditioners.

The chairs, which were an exact replica of cinema seats, further gave the arena a boxing ring theme. The chairs were about 60 in number and they were neatly arranged around the room in a square manner, with the centre being the spot of most of the action. The square space had about four stripper poles where some ladies, all adorned in sexy lingerie, bras and G-strings or bikinis, gyrated to the rhythm of the fast music blaring from the speakers. However, one thing all the strippers in the club had in common was waist beads, which also moved rhythmically to the music.

For those interested in gambling, there was an arcade centre for gambling but no one seemed to pay attention to it at the time our correspondent was there.

The strippers, like magnets, had all the attention. And even for those who did not appear to acknowledge them, the strippers walked up to them to advertise their skills and expertise in giving “unforgettable lap dance”. Lap dance cost about N2,000 for 30 minutes or more, depending on how attractive the stripper finds you.

A young lady with beautiful light skin approached this reporter, offering lap dance, but he politely declined. However, she was so adamant in her belief that she could offer “an unforgettable experience”, so a deal was struck. Instead of a lap dance, she was offered a bottle of alcoholic beverage and after a few drinks; she began to sing like a canary.

Amanda, 22, said that she recently completed her Ordinary National Diploma at a Polytechnic in Abia State and came to Lagos in December in search of greener pastures after spending all her life in the state.

The young lady lamented that since firms and companies seemed to be bent on discriminating against polytechnic graduates in their recruitments, she decided to take to stripping since she considered it as more dignifying than being a commercial sex worker.

“I was born and brought up in Abia State and I finished my OND programme recently at the school. I came to Lagos because I am the first child of my parents, who are not doing very well financially. My initial idea was to get a good job here and send money to my parents but it was tough to do that because of my OND certificate, so I started this work about a month ago. Now, I am able to send money home, have fun and live well. I earn at least N20,000 per night here,” Amanda said.

After the conversation, the apparently tipsy young lady noted that a ‘cabin’ could be rented, where she would be more than willing to spend time with our correspondent. However, upon inquiry, it was learnt that the establishment had about seven cabins, which could be likened to a cubicle for the private pleasure of their patrons.

The typical modus operandi is for the interested patron to pick his choice lady and head for the cabin.

The use of each cabin cost at least N20,000 and it had just a two-seater chair, mirrors on the wall with an air conditioner. However, the only large cabin there, which could accommodate about four men and four strippers cost about N100,000 to use for a short period of time. So, some patrons advised that they could opt for the use of hotels around or their house for the whole night for the same price.

The club coordinator, who took our correspondent to the cabin, further revealed that they had customers from virtually all spheres of life except the religious circle. But it seemed bankers and entrepreneurs constituted a large part of their customer base.

A lady, who simply introduced herself as Beverly, said, “We only cater for gentlemen. Most of our customers work in big firms but from talking to them, most of the men are bankers and I think it is because there are many banks in this area, so it is natural for them to just come here to relax a bit before going home,” she said.

The establishment seemed pricey and we learnt that it was due to its location and type of clientele it caters for. It was later discovered that there were other strip clubs in the area offering similar services at cheaper rates.

A neon sign flickered as our correspondent drove down Allen Avenue, some distance from the popular Opebi Roundabout.

There are however sharp contrasts between this strip club and the previous one visited by our correspondent.  With just N1,000, you are admitted into this club but the patron must meet the requirements which are clearly printed on a board few feet from its entrance. According to the club’s rule board, patrons must be above 18 years old, smoking of Indian hemp is not allowed, and camera or video taking is strictly prohibited.

Dimly lit, this strip club had about four television sets hung on the wall and two of them showed pornography, probably to set the tone for its customers. And for this club, the stage for the strip dance was right in the middle of the bar.

To get a lap dance at this club, one only had to part with N1,000, and for those interested in a more thrilling experience, the VIP section was available but they were not cabins. We however learnt that there were two VIP sections in this club with prices being N3,000 and N5,000.

While the section that cost N5,000 was more private, the one that went for N3,000 was not and the girls charged at least N2,000 for ‘short time’ (quick sex).

Our source also learnt that the strippers at the club were either engaged on permanent or temporary basis. Those engaged on permanent basis sought employment at the club while those engaged on temporary basis were mostly university students, who could be there for a few days to make some money. It was learnt that the club usually hired a female student as its ‘public relations officer’.

The club’s PRO is given the task of recruiting young ladies from universities, especially those that wish to make quick money over the weekend. Therefore, it is possible for a patron to meet a young stripper at the club and never get to see her again.

Most clubs prefer to have young and attractive ladies to act as their PRO because it is easier for them to recruit strippers and also increase patronage. On the average, they earn between N80,000 and N100,000 monthly.

Another of these clubs situated close to Allen Roundabout also caters for anyone who has money to spend. During the day, the edifice presents a deserted look; but at night, it transforms to a very busy establishment that requires N1,000 for admission.

Sources learnt that in this club, one can register to be a member for just N20,000 per annum and admission would be free to both the main club and the VIP section.

In this club, there were four television sets hanging on the walls, all showing pornography. The club owner, who struck a conversation with our correspondent, revealed that strippers made as much as N20,000 per night but that they hardly stayed for long before moving on. He noted that most of the strippers there were undergraduate students who were there to make quick bucks.

A young man and a lady sat on the same sofa with our correspondent but interestingly, it was the lady that was entertained by a stripper and not the man. Shortly after, a conversation ensued between our correspondent and the couple and it was discovered that they were married.

“Hi, I am Dele, how come you are alone nursing a glass of beer,” he enquired while his partner was treated to a lap dance by a stripper.

Dele, who described himself as freight agent, explained that he and his partner got married about two years ago but to spice their marriage, they engaged in different ‘out of the box’ things.

“My wife and I are very adventurous people and that is probably what brought us together. We like experimenting and since we get bored easily, we never run out of ideas. I am not a big fan of strip clubs but my wife likes it, so we come here occasionally. I also have my fetish for my own kind of things and she indulges me, so we are even and to be honest, it has helped our marriage. Are you married?” he asked.

Our correspondent replied that he was not, to which Dele seemed to shake his head in disappointment.

However, this club had only one VIP section and it cost N5,000 to be admitted to the dark room. Since it had a vast room, there was a high possibility that anyone who went in would find ladies and men locked in passion in the corners and the restrooms as there was only one long sofa that could seat about five people, a standing fan, and an air conditioner in the room.

sources gathered that most regular club owners, especially on the mainland, are engaging the services of strippers to provide additional spice for customers because of the attraction it is getting from the public.

For instance, a worker at a club around Opebi Link Bridge, said that since they started having strippers at the club, business has been booming. The source said that after their customers have had a wild time on the dance floor, their next point of call is usually the section for strip clubbing, where the men could get laid.