By Eva.D.
What started as a normal day of frying and selling potatoes turned into a bitter experience for a roadside seller in Gwallameji, Bauchi, after she was tricked by a man who posed as a customer and made away with her phone.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened in the afternoon while the woman, identified as Aisha, was busy attending to customers at her stand. The suspect reportedly bought fried potatoes and then requested to use her phone to send a WhatsApp message to his own device.
Distracted by the frying and the growing number of buyers, Aisha agreed and handed him the phone. He stayed close to the stand, pretending to wait for his order while she served others. Moments later, when she turned to hand him his food, the man had vanished — along with her phone.
“The man looked like a genuine customer. Nobody suspected he had such a plan,” a passerby told this blog.
For Aisha, the loss is more than just a mobile phone. It was a vital tool for her small business, as many customers often call to place orders. It was also her link to family and friends.
Though the thief fled before anyone could chase him, residents have described the incident as another example of petty crime affecting small business owners in the Gwallameji area.
This story is a reminder of how vulnerable petty traders are to petty crimes in our communities. It also calls for greater awareness and support to protect those whose livelihoods depend on every day’s sales.
Eva.D. 
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