Oluwatosin Gabriel Olujide, Chief Executive Officer of 02 Nigeria — a company that supplies and installs soap-making machines — has failed to reimburse N152,000 to his client, Ayodeji Ajayi, despite repeated promises.
Ajayi, a Lagos-based soap manufacturer, told FIJ that the N152,000 was a downpayment for a new soap mixer that Olujide was supposed to deliver and install after his previous machine broke down.
He explained, “A part of my soap mixer got burnt, and I needed to replace it. What I wanted initially was for him to buy the defective side, but he suggested I swap the old one for a new, upgraded mixer. I paid N152,000 in two instalments — N57,000 on April 25 and N95,000 on April 27 — with the understanding I’d pay the balance afterwards.”
Ajayi added, “He told me he would come and install the gadget himself after I made the payments. But he kept delaying, then stopped taking my calls and messages.”
Ajayi further explained that this was not their first unfavorable encounter. “He previously duped me of some empty kegs I paid for. So I begged him not to let me down this time.”
In an exchange of messages, Ajayi pleaded: “Begging you in the name of God. My previous experience with you hasn’t been palatable at all. I hope you won’t subject me to harsh treatment this time… Restore the old confidence I used to have in you.”
When the delivery fell through, and promises remained unfulfilled, Ajayi reported the transaction to his bank as fraud. Subsequently, the bank froze Olujide’s account, retaining N60,000 until he funded it to enable a reversal.
When FIJ first called Olujide on May 29, he admitted to the deal and explained: “My bank placed a post-no-debit on my account and withdrew the N60,000 left in it. My bank is waiting for me to fund the account so they can reverse the payments to him.”
He insisted that he could not pay directly due to the bank’s freezing of his account. “If I pay him directly and then fund my account afterwards, they will withdraw it again.”
He subsequently promised to clear the balance by June 5 but failed to do so. A follow-up call a week later revealed another promise — “They are going to pay it today (Wednesday),” — yet by Thursday afternoon, there was still no reversal or credit to Ajayi’s account.
