Man deceives 25 ladies with fake ushering job at popular hotel in Oyo state, steals their phones

A yet-to-be-identified man in the Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo State, has fled with mobile phones belonging to 25 ladies after luring them to a hotel under false pretenses.

The man allegedly approached the ladies individually, promising them an ushering job and convincing them to meet him at BON Hotel in the state capital. Claiming to have secured three rooms for them, he assured them that he had been staying at the hotel for two days.

His victims are female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, while others were students of the University of Ibadan.

Upon arrival, the hotel receptionist requested identification from both the man and the ladies. After completing this process, the man directed the ladies to the hotel’s restaurant for a meal before their supposed job began. He insisted they leave their mobile phones in their rooms, claiming it would help them focus better during work.

Minutes later, when the ladies returned to their rooms, they were shocked to discover their phones were missing. Confused, they realized the key cards to their rooms were still in their possession, raising questions about how the theft occurred.

Seeking answers from the hotel staff, they were informed that the man had made a fake payment for the rooms and that his identity was not properly recorded. The hotel management then demanded that the ladies settle the unpaid bills for both the rooms and the meals they consumed.

When the victims requested CCTV footage from the hotel to identify the suspect, the hotel took them to a police station, insisting they pay their outstanding bills. However, the police at the station insisted on reviewing the hotel’s CCTV footage.

The footage revealed that the suspect had handed a bag, believed to contain the stolen phones, to a waiting tricycle (Keke Napep) driver before both driving out of the hotel premises.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of the Bodija division, Bolaji Lawal, questioned the security protocols of the hotel, criticizing the lack of due diligence in handling guests’ identification.

Meanwhile, the victims expressed their gratitude to the DPO for preventing the hotel management from unjustly holding them responsible for the incident.

Investigations are still ongoing to identify the suspects