The day my 'perfect' business partner ran away with my capital

Two years ago, I thought I had found the golden ticket. A guy I met at a phone accessory meetup in Onitsha, Chinedu, approached me with a 'sure banker' deal. He claimed he had direct access to cheap iPhone parts from a contact in Guangzhou, and if I invested ₦2.5 million, we'd double it in three weeks.

I was skeptical at first, but he showed me receipts, photos of warehouses, even introduced me to a 'clearing agent' who vouched for him. My mind was already calculating the profit margin. I pulled money from my shop, borrowed from two friends, and handed it over.

For the first two weeks, everything seemed fine. Chinedu would send me updates, photos of goods being packed. Then one day, his phone went dead. The clearing agent's line too. I went to his shop in Onitsha, and the place was locked. The landlord said he packed up overnight.

I spent three weeks sleeping at Apapa port, hoping my goods would still arrive. They never did. I almost lost my shop in Aba. My childhood friend, Emeka, stepped in with a loan that saved me.

That experience taught me to never trust a middleman without physical proof. Now, I deal directly with suppliers, and I always do background checks. Money dey, but na careful person dey keep am. 🙏