The day I learned why my mechanic prays before touching any tokunbo car

I was in Onitsha last week, buying a batch of Samsung S23 Ultras from a supplier I trust. The guy I normally use was not around, so his younger brother handled the transaction. The phones looked perfect. Sealed boxes, everything matching. I paid ₦4.2 million and loaded them into my bus.

When I got to Aba and opened the boxes, every single phone was a clone. The software looked real, the weight felt right, but the internal hardware was fake. I lost ₦4.2 million just like that. My capital for the month gone.

My mechanic in Aba, the old man who fixed my Benz after the goat intestine incident, he always prays before touching any tokunbo car. I used to laugh at him. Now I understand. When price is too sweet, something must be bitter. That supplier's brother has not picked my calls since. I am back to square one but I am wiser. The question I keep asking myself is: how do you balance trust with verification in this country without offending the people you do business with?