Hundreds of residents in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, and other neighbouring communities have been left stranded following the sudden disappearance and closure of a food company in the Odi-Olowo area, after customers reportedly made advance payments for food items sold at unusually low prices.
It was that the company, which commenced operations about three to four weeks ago, attracted customers with heavily discounted prices and instructed them to make advance payments before returning seven days later to collect their purchases.
Among the items advertised for sales were a 50-kilogramme bag of rice for ₦27,000, 25 litres of cooking oil for ₦30,000 and a pack of spaghetti for ₦10,000.
Customers were required to pay upfront and return a week later to collect the items.
However, customers who arrived at the premises today reportedly met the shop under lock and key, with no official available to explain the situation.
Attempts to reach the operators through the telephone numbers provided by the company were also unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
An affected customers who didn’t want his name in the print said the company was still attending to customers last Saturday, making its sudden closure surprising and unexpected.
He said customers had committed sums ranging from about ₦60,000 to millions of naira, depending on the quantity of goods ordered.
A resident of the area, Mrs Nike Adebayo, who spoke with Radio Nigeria, said the company had gained the attention of residents because of its unusually low prices since it commenced operations.
Angry customers seen around the areas expressed frustration over the money they had paid while others remained hopeful that the company’s operators would return and reopen the premises to address their concerns.