An Imam has shared a scary story about how a suspected kidnapper tried to trick an unsuspected shoe vendor into collecting ransom money.
A Kogi resident, Suleiman Ibn Yusuf, who shared the story in a Facebook post on Thursday, June 5, 2026, said the suspect ordered shoes worth millions of naira and paid money into the vendor’s bank account.
The suspect left the shop under the guide of getting a vehicle to convey the goods to his destination.
He returned a few hours later and said he was no longer interested in the purchase.
The suspect asked for a refund and told the vendor to transfer the money into a different account he would provide.
However, the shoe vendor refused, insisting that he would only pay the money into the original account.
When he couldn’t convince the vendor, he left and never returned.
The vendor rushed to the nearest police station to make a report.
A few days after the incident, armed operatives stormed the vendor’s shop and it turned out his account number was used by kidnappers to receive ransom.
The vendor said his refusal to return the funds to a different account saved him from trouble.
“The Imam narrated a scary story after Asr prayer today. An innocent-looking man approached a shoe vendor and ordered shoes worth millions of naira,” he narrated.
“He then asked for an account number and the money was sent. He told him he was going to find a vehicle to convey his goods.
“He left for a few hours, then returned and told the shop owner that something came up and he was no longer interested in buying the shoes.
“He wanted his money back and would provide a new account number for the transfer. The shop owner insisted that he would only return the money to the account that sent it.
“When he couldn’t convince the shop owner, he left and never returned. He rushed to the nearest police station to make a report, and it was documented.
“A few days later, armed operatives stormed his shop; his account number had actually been used to receive a ransom by kidnappers.”
