Pension money withdrawn from a second generation bank by a 24-year-old woman for the upkeep of his ailing father mysteriously turned to pieces of newspapers after she alighted from a commercial taxi in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The woman who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard that she had gone to the bank located at Murtala Muhammed Highway, Calabar Road, to withdraw N70,000.00 but later discovered to her surprise that the money which she wrapped in a black cellophane bag before boarding a taxi had turned to pieces of paper.
The bewildered lady while narrating the incident to policemen on duty and concerned commuters amidst tears, said after making the withdrawal she boarded the taxi to Watt Market to buy some items.
According to her, after the withdrawal she stopped a commercial taxi with four passengers behind and one in front and she was asked by the driver to squeeze herself in the front seat.
As she was about to enter the front seat, a male in front came down for her to go in. Not suspecting anything, she entered and sat close to the driver, while the male passenger entered and sat by the door.
She said: “When I got in, the other man followed and was telling me to adjust. The driver, in pretext of helping me to sit well kept pulling my left hand that held the black polythene bag containing the money.
“In a short while, the driver said there was no space for me, that I should alight. Moments after I alighted, after the car had zoomed off, I experienced coldness when i realised that the polythene bag was now lighter”
The woman further said to clear her doubt, she reached for the bag only to discover that her father’s pension money had turned to pieces of paper.
She said she immediately stopped another taxi to go after the earlier one and when she could not catch up with it, she stopped and reported the matter to policemen.
She told Vanguard that she was afraid of telling her ailing father what happened, saying the father might drop dead.
To salvage the situation, she said she decided to borrow the money from her friend with the hope of paying back latter.
— Vanguard