The Edo State All Progressive Congress, APC youth chairman, Mr Tony Kabaka Adun is a grassroots politician and former revenue collector in Edo State.
He is known for enforcing daily tax collection from commercial bus drivers and open market traders in the state capital. Mr Adun was also known for money collection from property developers before the act was scrapped by the Benin Monarch.
A petty trader who has encountered Mr Tony Kabaka reached out to TMO editor to narrate her ordeal in the hands of the revenue collector.
According to her, after loosing her job as a primary school teacher, she was paid a lump sum of money as gratuity. She thought of a business she could establish which would produce daily income to cater for herself and four children. Her husband had passed away several years prior and she was the sole carer of her children, with no support from the family.
After careful consideration, Madam Osayomwanbo ( not real name) decided to open a restaurant business. She would at least get daily income and feed her children with leftovers from the business.
The business started out well, and she thereafter included sales of soft drinks and beer on the side. Business was good as her customer base grew bigger over time. One of her prominent and regular customer was Mr Tony Kabaka Adun. The revenue collector would often patronize her in company of his manual workers (boys), incurring huge bills which would either be paid immediately or days later. As a regular, and known face at the business, it was not uncommon for Mr Kabaka to send in his boys, friends, and side chick to wait for him at the bar, with instructions of “eat and drink whatever you want”, and he would pay afterwards. This continued with the time taken for Mr Kabaka to offset his bills extending as he became more familiar with the business owner.
Soon Mr Adun began incurring bills worth half of the business, pay after several weeks, with the business suffering as Madam Osayomwanbo would have no money to restock. She would never ask Mr Adun to pay for his previous purchases when he’s ordering more, since she didn’t want to offend or lose this regular customer.
Trouble however started when Mr Kabaka Adun in his usual manner had sent one of his boys to bring a crate of beer from Madam Osayomwanbo’s shop and the later declined, telling the boy she has run out of goods, and he should please tell his boss to pay what he owes her so she can restock her business. The boy conveyed the message to Mr Kabaka, who got infuriated. How dare the shop owner ask for her money! How dare the boy come back to him empty handed , without the crate of beer!
Mr Kabaka was visibly annoyed, said none of his boys or associates should ever patronize Madam Osayomwanbo. He asked for the amount which he owed the business, he was told and paid immediately, with a vow to close down that business for the owner daring to ask him to pay his debt.
The news of Mr Kabaka having a fallout with the business owner soon went around the vicinity. Customers who were either scared or loyal to Kabaka began to boycott the business.
It was only a matter of time before Madam Osayomwanbo’s ever bubbling shop became a shadow of what it use to be.
With only few customers patronizing the store, the business struggled to stay afloat. Closing hours were extended till midnight to keep things going. It didn’t take long before some well meaning neighbors began whispering to Madam Osayomwanbo that there was a plan by “some persons” to attack the store. Since she has refused to close down, few customers and open till late, there will be a sort of robbery attack on her/the business.
Fearing for her life, and knowing the caliber of “persons” she was dealing with, Madam Osayomwanbo auctioned the furnitures in the business and other items subsequently closing down the business.
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