Osogbo rice, noodles scam: Hundreds stranded as vendor vanishes with millions
Hundreds of residents of Osogbo and its environs, Osun State, were left stranded on Monday after a vendor who allegedly sold rice, noodles, vegetable oil and other food items at unusually low prices reportedly disappeared with customers’ money.
The vendor, reportedly operating under the name Global Food Initiative, had attracted customers by offering a 50kg bag of rice for N20,000, while a pack of noodles was sold for N7,000.
The prices were significantly below prevailing market rates, with a 50kg bag of rice reportedly selling for between N50,000 and N60,000 in the area.
The vendor also allegedly offered vegetable oil and other food items at prices said to be at least 70 per cent below prevailing market prices.
However, customers were required to make payments upfront and wait for seven days before collecting their goods.
According to reports, some customers initially received the items they paid for, prompting the information about the unusually cheap prices to spread across Osogbo and neighbouring communities.
The development reportedly triggered a rush, with more than 1,000 people allegedly making payments for rice, noodles and other food items.
Many customers were given Monday, September 28, 2026, as the collection date, with some traders reportedly paying for as many as 50 bags of rice or more.
On Monday, the customers arrived at the designated locations with vehicles and other means of transportation, expecting to collect their purchases.
However, they were reportedly met with locked shops and the absence of the vendor and the people allegedly operating the business.
A video circulating on social media showed a large crowd gathered at the location, with some affected customers expressing shock and frustration over the development.
In the video, a woman could be heard saying, “It has gone far o. They escaped with the money. Look at the mammoth crowd.”
The amount allegedly collected by the vendor could not immediately be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has reportedly left many customers counting their losses, while calls for the authorities to investigate the alleged scam have intensified.
The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the vendor, the actual number of victims and the total amount allegedly collected remain unclear.
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