Business
15-year Old girl kidnapped in Lagos while going for UTME
The family members of a 15-year-old girl, Rita Clement, say they have not known peace of mind since Thursday when she was abducted by unidentified persons while on her way to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos State.
It was gathered that Clement, who lived with her relatives on Gboyega Kilo Street in the Ojodu Berger area, and had UTME registration number 65061660GJ, was to sit for the exam at 6.30am on that day.
Our correspondent, who obtained Clement’s examination printout, gathered that the examination centre was the West African Examination Council, International office on Plot B, Lateef Jakande Road, Agidingbi, Lagos.
It was learnt that the teenager, who sat for her Senior Secondary Certificate Examination last year, had left home around 5.30am for Agidingbi.
Our correspondent gathered that at about 5pm, Clement sent a text message to her mother’s mobile phone, raising the alarm that she had been abducted and she did not know the location where she was taken to.
The matter was said to have been reported at the Ojodu Police Division on Friday and had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.
In the text message which Clement’s uncle, Emeka Orazulike, showed our correspondent, the teenager wrote that the abductors had seized her phone since morning and she only managed to write a text through someone’s assistance.
She wrote, “Mummy, they took my phone and beat me up inside the bus. Mummy, I don’t know where they took me to. They made me sleep and said they will kill me if I ran.
“Someone gave me my phone, saying I must return it before they came back. Mummy, please save me, please.”
The uncle, who worked as a pharmacist, said it was through the text message that the family got to know that Clement was not missing, but abducted.
He said, “Rita (Clement) finished from a college on Aina Street in the Ojodu area. She just concluded her SSCE; we then enrolled her for the UTME. Her father lives in Enugu.
“The examinations board gave her that Thursday, by 6.30am, to sit for her exam. She was to sit at a centre in the Agidingbi area. On that day, as I was preparing for work around 6am, she met and told me that she was set to leave for the venue.
“I gave her N1,000 when she told me the centre was at Agidingbi. She would use only N100 for transport. I then left for work.
“As I was coming back around 6.30pm, her mother called that she forwarded a message to my telephone. I then checked my phone and saw the scary message. I first went to the Area F Command, Ikeja, and was about making a statement when the Area Commander directed me to the Ojodu Police Division.
“We reported the matter on Friday at Ojodu, and the police there radioed other stations.”
Orazulike added that when they called the girl’s phone, it rang out on Thursday, adding that it had been switched off by Friday.
“She did sit for that exam. The abductors might have whisked her away in the bus she boarded on that morning.
“She was used to going out. When she wrote her WAEC, her centre was at Giwa Oke Aro, Agbado. She went there with her friends.
“That was why when she mentioned that she was going to Agidingbi for the UTME, I did not nurse any fear because it was just two bus stops from our area. If we knew that anything would happen, I would have taken her there myself,” he added.
It was learnt that the Divisional Police Officer in Ojodu took the family members to the SARS office, Ikeja, on Monday and the SARS commander assured them that he would detail his men to rescue the girl.
However, the family had yet to hear from the police as of Wednesday.
Source:Punch
Can We Have More Bankers Like Victoria Mulero? An epitome of ‘omoluabi’
In February of this year, I needed to open a new bank account for salary purposes, as required by the management of the new company I had just joined.
I considered First Bank, Access Bank, and Sterling Bank. After some thought, I chose Sterling Bank—not because I found them superior—but because I believed they had fewer customers, which I hoped would save me from long queues and unnecessary delays.
I visited the Sterling Bank branch at Akowonjo to open the account. Unfortunately, the staff member who attended to me didn’t inspire confidence. She appeared distracted—smiling at her phone, clearly engrossed in a private chat—far from the level of professionalism one would expect in a bank setting. I had a feeling this would lead to problems down the line.
When my first salary was paid into the account, my suspicion was confirmed. Sterling Bank restricted access to my funds—I couldn’t transfer money or make withdrawals at the counter. I visited their Fatai Atere branch at Ladipo, Mushin to complain, where I was informed that the account opened for me was a “Kaikai” account—a type I had never heard of. Apparently, this account type is meant for individuals who lack the required documents during account creation. But I had submitted all necessary documents, so why was such an account opened for me?
At the Fatai Atere branch, I was attended to by a remarkable banker named Victoria Mulero. She requested my NIN, which I didn’t have on me at the time. Rather than send me back home, she asked if I had a digital copy. I did, and she graciously gave me her email address so I could forward it to her. With that, she resolved the issue promptly and professionally.
However, the following month, in March, the same restriction happened again. I returned to the Fatai Atere branch, and once again, Victoria Mulero handled my complaint with efficiency and kindness, resolving it without delay.
I hoped the matter was finally settled, but when my April salary arrived, the restriction was imposed yet again. This time, I was beyond frustrated and ready to replace Sterling Bank as my salary account. Still, I visited the Fatai Atere branch one last time. Once more, Victoria Mulero resolved the issue with grace and determination.
This write-up is a tribute to Victoria Mulero of Sterling Bank, Fatai Atere branch. She is a rare gem—respectful, diligent, and genuinely customer-focused. She went above and beyond, following up with the Akowonjo branch through calls and emails until the matter was fully resolved. She handled every situation with patience and empathy, treating the job as if the bank belonged to her family.
To be honest, I’ve had unpleasant experiences with many bankers, especially female staff. Too often, they carry personal frustrations into the banking hall and take it out on customers. But Victoria is different. She exemplifies what true customer service should be.
We may not all be the same, but treating people with respect and kindness is a skill that can be learned—and Victoria clearly has. Let’s celebrate her for being a model professional and a beacon of hope in an industry that too often lacks empathy.
Without any fear of contradiction, I say boldly that Victoria Mulero is a good ambassador of Sterling Bank and her parents too deserve encomium for raising a well trained daughter and impacting an attitude of ‘ omoluabi’ in her. We need more of Victoria Mulero in our banking industry.
Seun Jacob Ogunbiyi
Known as Olùkọ́, the therapeutic writer and Lagos based journalist
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