ADEOLA OTEMADE reports that the good, the bad and the ugly happen at ATM stands across the country as many people come there to patronise bank customers whom they suspect have so much money to spare and give to them.
THE Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has made financial transaction easier somehow. It has allowed people to perform financial transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits, funds transfers, or account information enquiries, among others.
The ATM made its debut in 1989, because up till the early 1990s till much later, Nigerians were still queuing up in their respective banks to withdraw money, not to talk of sending money with ease. It was not until the 2000s that the ATM became ubiquitous in most parts of the country making customers’ banking experience much easier to conduct.
However, since most bank customers who need to withdraw or send money that are not in large amount now patronise the ATMs without having to enter the banking halls, this all-important point has become more or less a watering hole where all manner of people gather, not only to transact financial business with the banks, but also to seek opportunities.
Specifically, a set of people have come to see the ATM stands as sure points to either seek financial help or make some money, among other things, simply because they believe that those who patronise the ATM stands have come to withdraw cash.
Sunday Tribune visited different ATM stands to observe the goings-on there and to speak with bank customers on their experiences while trying to transact their financial businesses.
A civil servant who wants to be simply identified as Yemi, recalled one major experience at the ATM. He told Sunday Tribune that a young lady had approached him offering to sell a set of tablets allegedly to cure pile but he declined. However, the lady did not give up but decided to reduce the price just to make him patronise her, but yet he declined the offer.
“The lady refused to give up; she continued to make one move or the other. Later, she said I should just take the drugs and give her whatever I could afford. She added that she was a polytechnic student and needed the commission she was to be paid on the sale of the drugs for her school fees. I noticed that she had already written her phone number on the pack of the drugs. So you can see people do all sorts of things at ATMs, including subtle prostitution,” he said.
Another young man who identified himself as John Morgan spoke of his experience at the ATM stand, noting that this has restricted his trips there.
“Well, I really don’t use ATMs because one major issue I have seen there has been that of impatience. It’s a meeting point for beggars because they believe everyone who comes to use the ATM is rich. Then you begin to hear stories like ‘Please, I need money to buy drugs or I haven’t eaten for days’.
“You also have local sex enhancement drugs sellers; they claim they are promoting traditions and local content. That has become a norm. The only excuse some have is joblessness and they have to eat and look good. I was at the ATM once and a beautiful lady came to me and she told me a story of how she hadn’t eaten for days. I was forced to give her something. On another occasion, a man came to me and said he needed money to buy drugs. It goes on and on,” Morgan stated.
Kolawole Iyanu, a young lady in her 20s also shared her experience with Sunday Tribune saying they are varied but one is constant and those are encounters with people whole tell all sorts of stories to make one part with some money for them.
“I was at the ATM stand on this particular day to make withdrawals. I had just N2000 left in my account. It was the GT Bank ATM stands as they were closer to where I live. I noticed that there was a woman going up and down, looking at people trooping in to use the ATM. As people left the ATM stands she moved closer to them whispering some words. I was on a long queue so I was wondering what she was doing or saying.
“This particular woman was well-dressed. After using the ATM and I was about to leave, she beckoned to me and asked me to wait. She then went on to tell me tales of how she had been unable to eat since the past three days; that she had three children but her husband had left her and she was the only one taking care of the kids.
“She added that her business had gone down and she had nothing to survive on and that was why she resorted to begging. By this time there were tears in her eyes. I was forced to give her N1000 out of the N2,000 I withdrew. But it was left between her and God if she was telling the truth,” Iyanu said.
Aderibigbe Detiloye has also not been spared the experience of being bombarded with story tellers whose motives and daily occupation were to wring water out of stone at the ATM stand.
According to him, “A lot happens at ATMs; fine girls stay on queues with no intention of making any transaction, only for them to tell you that they sell sex enhancing drugs and also ask for your contact, even after telling them you are not patronising them.
“These fine young girls practise modernised begging a lot. I once gave a lady N1000, but I knew she was into begging. She came to the ATM stand looking restless. I saw her when she was talking to some people but they ignored her. So she came to me; she said “bro, I am broke. Imagine I have been trying to make a withdrawal; my card was not working as I have tried five ATM stands and I have cash in my accounts.
“I can even show you my account balance; I only wanted to withdraw N1000. I gave her N1000. She said ‘thank you, you are so sweet.’ I knew that she was a beggar and the girl is fine o.”
For many of those who beg at the ATM stands they knew getting money from the average Nigerian won’t come easy, so they lay the tracks with lots of prayers that would be difficult to ignore. Owoseni Makanjuola, a businessman also met with some of the “prayer warriors.”
“On this particular day, I had just finished withdrawing some money. A lady approached me and started praying for me. She said I should please, in the name of God, help her. She also prayed that God will not make me suffer and that she was looking for what her twin kids would eat; she said they were ill and she needed money to buy them drugs but she didn’t have the money.
“I was moved to compassion, I gave her N1000 that day. Could you believe that I saw this same woman on my street, begging for alms? The same story lines that she gave me was what she told a man I knew and I saw the man buying bread for her and gave her N2000 cash.
“A week or two later, I was at the ATM again and she came to me and started the same story she told me earlier. I told her I was sorry I didn’t have money. I think these beggars don’t recognise those they beg from. It’s such a crazy world,” he said.
Adufe Tolami’s case was a little bit different as someone who pretended to help her earlier came back to ask for money and even sought to start a love affair.
“On this particular day, this young man walked up to me to give me a job and a tract. I told him I was not interested and that I was a nurse working for the Lagos State government. He said I might know someone who needed a job. When he saw I was uncompromising, he then went on to tell me that I was a fine girl, he asked if I had a boyfriend. I asked him why he wanted to know. He said it was not impossible for both of us getting married. I just kept laughing.
“I knew he was up to something. He left me alone and moved on to another person. It was a long queue, and I was getting tired already. Suddenly someone tapped me only for me to see this same man again; this time he said he needed N500 and that he wanted to return to his office and was low on cash. I didn’t even answer him,” she said.
Faith Oduola’s experience was a funny one. It was a day many customers waited in frustration as only two out of the four ATM points were working but some sellers came to lift their spirits.
“One lady came and was advertising Kayanmata; the lady said ‘if you know your husband is not satisfying you well, I have it here. If you know you need a man that will be spending money on you, meet me here. Do you need man attraction? Contact me.’ People were just laughing. Another one came selling all these private part enlargement drugs for men.
“A woman also came to ask for money because her husband was in hospital. The security man had to send her away because she had been there almost every day saying the same thing. I think this country is in a big mess,” she lamented.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE