A bar operator on Lekki Beach
Road, Ademola Ogunbona, says he has lost his livelihood to the alleged debt of
N757,750 incurred by one Mrs . Shaw, aka Mama G.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
woman had gone to the bar around 6am on August 15, 2016, to have fun , which
lasted till about 1am the following day.
It was said that Mama G instructed
the barman to serve customers that came to the bar throughout her stay , and
promised to pick up the bill for the drinks they consumed.
Our correspondent gathered
that one of the major beneficiaries of Mama G ’s gesture was a man who came to
the bar with his friends at about 6. 30pm to celebrate his birthday.
She allegedly ordered many
rounds of drinks for the man and his friends and told Ogunbona to add their
bill to hers.
However, at about 1am , when
she had reportedly become inebriated, some persons were said to have stormed
the bar and took her away in a Honda car to Rotary Garden Estate , Ilasan ,
Ajah , where she lives with her husband .
In a chat with PUNCH Metro ,
Ogunbona said he , two of his workers and the chief security officer of the
shops in the area followed the car, but the security guards at the estate gate
did not allow them in.
He said , “ Mama G came to my
bar at about 6am on August 15, 2016, and ordered drinks . She told me to serve
everybody that came to the bar and promised to pay . In the afternoon , I told
her that her bill was over N 200, 000. She slapped my face and asked me whether
she looked like a debtor.
“ She said I should serve very
expensive drinks to whoever came to the bar. She even called some beggars who were
passing by into the bar to drink.
Around 6. 30pm, a man came
into the bar to mark his birthday along with his friends , numbering about 16,
including ladies . She told them not to pay.
“ They took five bottles of
Remy Martin, seven bottles of Absolute Vodka and three bottles of Sky . They
also smoke cigarettes . They left around 10pm. At about 1am , four men and a
woman came to pick the woman. I insisted that I would collect my money, but
they took her away.
“ They dropped her off at the
estate gate and left . She banged the gate repeatedly . Eventually, her
housemaids came to pick her. I was not allowed to enter into the estate with
her. ”
The father of two children
explained that he went to report the case at the Ajiwe Police Division and
submitted the bill to the police. He said the police invited the woman , but
her husband sent a message to them that she had gone to Ghana.
“ He told the police that Mama
G would come back in December 2016. The police sent another letter to the man
in December . On January 11, he transferred N 200, 000 into my bank account.
“ I called him and asked for
the remaining money, he said I should contact his wife ’ s lawyer . When I
called the lawyer , he said I should manage the money like that. I reported
back to the station and they invited his wife again . Neither the woman nor her
husband showed up. Their cook and driver were arrested. The lawyer secured
their bail on the same day.
“ Since the case was
transferred to the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, in February 2017, the
Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case has been telling me to be
patient ; but I have children and a wife to cater to , ” he added.
The husband , Mr . Shaw ,
terminated a call put across to him immediately our correspondent began to make
an inquiry on the matter . Subsequent calls to his line rang out.
However, the lawyer , Mr .
Onome Okodiya , who spoke on behalf of the family, said it was not true that
Mama G promised to pay for the birthday celebration or was forcefully taken
away from the bar.
He said the matter was being
investigated by the state police command , adding that the N 200, 000 was paid
to the bar manager “ in good faith ” pending the outcome of a reconciliatory
move by the police.
Okodiya said , “ We deny that
Mrs. Shaw owed that kind of money. When the barman chose to use the police in
Lekki to enforce the debt, we made a report to the Lagos State Commissioner of
Police and the case is being investigated. We are going to wait for the outcome
of the investigation.
“ The payment ( N 200, 000)
was made in good faith while awaiting reconciliation . There is a scam which we
are trying to unravel . One person is claiming over N 700, 000; another person
is claiming over N 800, 000. What is the value of the stock they have ?
Everybody is under investigation in respect of this matter . ”
The Lagos State Police Public
Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous -Cole , had yet to reply to a text
message on the case as of press time.
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