Man accused of stealing goods worth N1.88m from store after claiming to be a priest and paying with fake transfer (video)

A man manipulated a store attendant into releasing goods worth N1,880,000 to him. 

The man visited a phone and accessories store called Royalline Technology in Lekki Phase 1 on June 5. 

He asked for two iPhone15s and the attendant told him they did not have them at the moment but it would be available in the coming days. 

She tried to encourage him to buy a different phone with similar capabilities but he insisted that he wanted two iPhone 15 phones because he is a “Reverend Father” and his parish priest asked him to get a similar phone. 

Eventually, he agreed to substitute one of the iPhones with a Samsung s24 Ultra, which the store attendant told him was available in their second store in Sangotedo. 

He offered to drive the attendant to the other store to pick up the phone and also make payment via a bank along the way. 

According to the store attendant, they entered a bank and he claimed he had initiated a transfer. When the store attendant approached the bank cashier after not getting a credit alert, the cashier informed her that the customer said he had money coming in from another bank and they would transfer the money to the store’s account once the customer’s account was credited. 

The attendant said she then took the customer to the other store and they picked up the Samsung s24 Ultra. He also took a Samsung s24 Ultra pouch, Oraimo power bank, and a DiGiPhone charger, all working N1.88m. 

When they returned, she followed him to the bank but he went in alone. When he came out, he showed her a receipt showing he transferred N3,591,000 for the Samsung s24 Ultra, the iPhone 15, and the accessories. 

He said he made payment in advance for the iPhone and would return the following day for it. 

The store attendant said though she did not receive an alert that his money had entered the store’s account, she allowed him to leave with the goods after he took her to a Catholic church close by and claimed that’s the parish he’s with. She said she saw him go into the church to drop something, though she stayed outside. 

After he left the store with his goods, she realised she had made a mistake and she went inside the church, asking for a man named Destiny, but they said they did not know him. 

She called the number that he gave and the man promised to return, but he switched off his phone after that. 

The case has been reported to the police and the store has shared CCTV footage of the man with the hopes of finding him.

Watch the CCTV footage of the thief below.