Some residents of Ushafa community, Bwari Area Council, Abuja, have raised the alarm over the alleged fraudulent activities of a Micro Finance Savings and Loan Firm, known as "God First."
The firm, owned by one Mr Vincent, an indigene of Kogi state, has thrift collectors, who collect money from owners of small scale businesses.
The business owners, who desire loans, are asked to deposit certain amount in order to qualify for the loans.
Mr Owen Frank, a barbing salon and boutique owner, who narrated his ordeal with the firm to DAILY POST, said, "some female workers with the firm came to me for daily contribution and told me about the business.
"They said if I had up to N10, 000, I will be given a loan of N50, 000 or N20, 000 in exchange for N100, 000. They gave me a form to fill, which cost N1, 500. After filling the form, they brought a guarantor form which was signed with my details, including passport photograph and International passport.
"I invested N22, 000 and I was to get a loan of N120, 000 within one month but one month went by and I didn't hear from them.
"Two months went by and there was no response from them. They kept dribbling me until I finally got through to one of them on phone. I insisted I needed my N22, 000, that I didn't want the loan anymore and that I was no longer interested in the business.
"I couldn't take it anymore, so I traced the lady who collected my money and got her arrested at the Bwari Police Station on June 25.
"The lady said their main branch was in Nyanya. On Monday, June 27 when we got there, we didn't meet Vincent and no staff was present because they had gone to the field to collect people's monies.
"We waited for a while and Mr Vincent didn't show up and all efforts to reach him on phone were abortive. Right there in their main office, we met business owners who were there to also see Vincent to demand for their money.
"Since we were waiting for Vincent, who was not fourth coming, we proceeded to Nyanya Police Station to lay a complaint.
"When we got there, the officers said we should go outside, 'put our heads together before we come in, so we can sort them before they take our statements'.
Continuing, Frank said, "Because we didn't give them bribe, they didn't attend to us so we went back to Vincent's office and confiscated some equipment, including computers and office chairs.
"We took these items to the police station and they rejected them; we took them back to the office and we were arrested on getting there. We were detained based on the allegation that we 'vandalized the office.'
"Since Wednesday, I and other complainants, including a married woman with children have been in the station, yet Vincent never showed up. I kept telling the policemen to let us go, that we are innocent; they said they will take us to court.
"We were however released from detention on Friday after I contacted someone who stood in as a surety for us. We were asked to report to the station on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, DAILY POST learnt that the the female staff who took the victims to their outlet in Nyanya, has also been detained.
The lady is being detained for disclosing the location of the Nyanya office.
The Nyanya Divisional Police Officer, DPO, when contacted said he cannot comment on the report until he got to the station.
He told our correspondent, "I'm driving now, please call me in 2 or 3 hours."
As it stands, checks by this newspaper showed that the victims have been arraigned in court.
Frank disclosed to our correspondent that, "We reported at the station today as we were told last week to come for our monies.
"However, Vincent connived with police officers and on our arrival, we were charged to a court in Karu and have been held in custody. We were not even served.
"Vincent who is supposed to be the complainant is nowhere in sight."
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