Letter 18 - Agu Igbo

This is the eighteenth story of the book.

My name is Agu Igbo. I am a thirty-one-year-old African man from Lagos, Nigeria. I lived there alone in an apartment complex on Ogudu. Every day I worked at a factory near Ogudu pushing clothing products in an assembly line on a conveyor belt. As I worked my job, I strived to want to attain a position of work that's even greater than myself.
        One day at my apartment, my friend Abiodun Yoruba, who came to visit, noticed the serious expression on my face. "Say Agu." Abiodun said. "What is it Abiodun?" I spoke. "Can I ask you something?" Abiodun said. "Sure thing." I spoke. "You always have that look on your face. What is it you're thinking about?" Abiodun said. "Well, I work at a factory every day just to make ends meet. I don't want to do this my whole life. I want something more." I spoke. "Well, I think I can help you with that." Abiodun said. "What do you mean?" I spoke. "I know of something that you can do where you can make so much money you won't even know what to do with it." Abiodun said. Without even questioning more regarding the details of what Abiodun was talking about, I agreed to following his suggestion.
         The very next day after my shift, Abiodun drove by and took me over to an internet cafe on Toyin street. As I got there, I felt confused as to what everyone was doing on the computers they're sitting in front of. I looked at Abiodun and said, "Say Abiodun. What exactly are these people doing?" "They're making their money." Abiodun said giving me a determined smile. "Really?" I said as I walked over to one of the men sitting in front of a computer. The man was using an instant messenger through an email account. He was also sending pictures of models, actors and average normal citizens from the United States to as many as five different people from there. He even was copying and pasting romantic excerpts to email to those people. He smiled brightly knowing that the people all agreed to send him large amounts of money that he requested. I felt very surprised that one of the people agreed to send as much as three-thousand American dollars to him. Abiodun looked at me and said, “Thinking about wanting to do something like this?" I let the money cloud my judgment making me say, "Yes. I surely do want to do it." "Great. I will help you on how to do it." Abiodun said. And with that, Abiodun and I shook hands believing that we were going to make large stacks of cash. Cash as far as the eye can see.
         For the next week, Abiodun and I spent it by making profiles on dating websites using the computer at the internet cafe. For each profile we used pictures that didn't belong to us. We felt very surprised at how quickly we were receiving messages from people. With each response we sent messages that made our potential victims feel better about themselves. We also sent links to explicit websites telling them that they would need to visit to attain a chance to meet in person. It didn't take long for us to begin collecting actual cash sent from our victims at the Western Union in Ababa. Desperation for a relationship became our greatest weapon.
        The next day, we went over to a local western union to collect our money as usual. The moment I saw the physical cash that my victims had sent to me, I smiled brightly. "So, this is what you meant." I spoke. "Yes, I sure did." Abiodun said as he collected the cash from his victims as well. Feeling very proud of what I was doing, I called my manager at the factory and told him over the phone that I was quitting my job. The moment I hanged up my phone and put it back in my pocket, it was as if I set myself up for a road of attaining money fueled by greed.
        Five years have passed ever since I became a romance scammer. It didn't take too long for me to begin operating on my own by using a desktop computer I had bought with the money I swindled from my victims. As soon as I got the hang of breaking the hearts of men and women across the world for money, Abiodun left me to operate alone. To make sure I never forgot any of my victims, I put up papers that had their contact and personal information and placed them on every single wall in my apartment. I believed that this was what I was meant to do with my life. Every time I collected cash from a victim, I would make an even more evil smile knowing that my criminal acts were succeeding.
        On a warm Spring Day, I found myself sitting at a bar at Lekki Peninsula drinking with Abiodun. "Wow. This is terrific Abiodun. I never imagined my life would be like this." I spoke. "You bet it buddy. It's only going to get even better. How about we go on a trip?" Abiodun said. "Sure, but where?" I spoke. "I have thought about it. Let's go to America." Abiodun said. "Great. What city should we go to?" I spoke. "I have already thought it out. We should go to Boston." Abiodun said. "Cool. Let's go." I spoke. In that moment, we made a toast in agreement that were going to set out on a journey to Boston, Massachusetts.
          A week later, we managed to make our flight for our trip to Boston. We also managed to attain a passport and visa. On the day of our flight, we collected even more cash from our latest victims before heading over to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to get on the plane to Boston. While on the plane, we continued chatting with our victims using iPads that were funded by them. We thought that what we were doing was our main purpose in life.
        When we managed to safely get to Boston, I felt very excited knowing that I would attain the time of my life. "So, what are we going to do now Abiodun?" I spoke. "I'll tell you that later. First let's go get some drinks at the bar." Abiodun said. "Sure. Let's go." I said smiling brightly we left Logan Airport taking a taxicab to a bar in Downtown Boston. At the bar, we drank our drinks at our table checking out all the women that passed us. We smiled and waved back at a couple of ladies who were drinking heavily and approaching us in a disoriented manner. Later at night, Agu and we found ourselves at a hotel on Dalton Street laying in beds with those same two women we didn't even know. "You were amazing man." Abiodun said. "Really? You were too with your moves. I have to say. I never want this life to end." I spoke. "Tell me why should this end? Who is going to stop us?" Abiodun said as he chuckled. I chuckled along with him believing that my frivolous life of greed and deception was never going to be stopped.
        Our lifestyle came to a sudden halt when we received an email and a phone call from a random man. In a quick manner, I answered the phone we shared. "Hello?" I spoke. "Hello, my name is Martin, and I am Wendy's friend. She asked me to meet with you to collect the two-thousand dollars she agreed to give you." Martin said. Blinded by greed and manipulation I said, "Sure. Where would you like to meet?" "At my house. I will send you the address." Martin said. "Great. When do you like to meet?" I spoke. "We can meet tomorrow afternoon." Martin said. "Great. I will see you tomorrow." I said as I hung up the phone. Less than five minutes after the phone call, Martin sent me the address of his house in the Roxbury area. I smiled an even more evil smile than before believing that I was going to be even richer.
        The next day, we took quick showers, dressed into our outfits and headed out to Martin's house by taxicab. On the cab ride over to Martin's house, we both talked about what material possessions we were going to spend the money on. In under thirty minutes, we arrived at Martin's household. We stepped out of the white taxicab and closed the door with greed engulfed in our minds and hearts. "Let’s do this." Abiodun said. I held my arm out in front of Abiodun and said, "Since I got the call. You should wait around here somewhere till I come out to you with the money." "Okay. That's fine." Abiodun said as he walked over to a nearby bench, sat down and chatted with his victims on the iPad that he brought along with him. I took a deep breath as I walked over to Martin's front door and knocked it as loud as he could with a heart of nervousness. In a few seconds, the door opened. "Excuse me. Are you Martin?" I spoke. "Yes. I am. Are you Agu?" Martin said as he stood there in his green shirt and blue jeans. "Yes. I am here to pick up the money." I spoke. "Of course. Come on in and sit down. I will get it." Martin said as he walked over to the kitchen. I smiled as I walked in to sit in Martin's living room. The flat screen television sitting on the stand in the center was turned on making me feel like I was right at home.
         Ten minutes later, Martin came back with a bundle of hundred-dollar bills counting to exactly two-thousand dollars. I looked at the money and said, "Wow. Is that it?" "Yes. It sure is." Martin said as he handed me the money. I methodically made sure to count the bills to make sure it was the exact amount of the agreed upon funds with my victim. Unfortunately for me, my spending plans with the money came to a halt when I noticed people coming down the stairs and some of them were police officers. I quickly stood up and said, "What's going on here?" One of the police officers said, "This is a bust and an end to your operation. Now get on the floor." I obeyed the police officer and did what he said. Another police officer walked over to me, put my hands behind my back, placed them in hand cuffs and stood me back to my feet. Martin walked right over to me and said, "Look. I am sorry that this must go the way it is. I lied to you just so I could get you arrested. Wendy isn't just my friend. She is my sister. You caused us so much pain and I am putting a stop to it. You are sick and a horrible excuse for a criminal." I tilted my head down feeling very upset from what Martin said to me. The words that Martin said to me were as if the family members and friends of all my victims yelled at me in unison. It was as if the money I got began to magically disappear. The police officers walked me out of the house to their car to take me to the station. I kept my eyes on Abiodun sitting on the bench with his iPad. I remained silent during the whole scene believing that the operation would never really stop. At the station, I told the police only about my involvement with the romance scams. My so-called wonderful trip had turned into a great disaster. Later that day, I was booked, fingerprinted, photographed and processed into their database of criminals. That same day, I was sentenced to five years in jail. While in jail, I couldn't find myself to do anything but look at the walls of my cell and think about all the people I hurt. Being placed into the jail cell was as if all the money I had made from my illegal operation piled up and fell on top of me like an avalanche. Five years later, after serving my sentence, I was deported back to Nigeria. When I got back home to my apartment, I walked right over to my dresser to look at my old factory ID. I began to shed tears when I realized that it was my own greed that made me fall into that trap. I also realized that the carelessness of making more was nothing, but a life controlled by greed that forced me to bounce back to square one.