A Nigerian woman has gone viral after recounting how an ajo collector vanished with six months' worth of her hard-earned savings, leaving her unable to rent the shop she had worked towards. Oma, who posts under the handle @oma22k, shared her experience on 8 July 2026, warning others against informal savings arrangements.
Business Lady Shares Experience With Ajo
Oma drew a pointed comparison between ajo, also known as osusu, and Ponzi schemes, stating that no argument would convince her to participate in either again. According to her post, she had been contributing 1,000 naira every day to a collector for six months, with the goal of saving enough to secure a shop. When the time came to collect her money and finalise the rental, the collector was nowhere to be found.
Sharing the total amount she lost, she said: "Just like Ponzi schemes, nothing will convince me to join another 'account' (ajo/osusu) again. About three years ago, I wanted to save enough money to rent a shop, so I started giving an account collector 1k every day for 6 months to keep for me. When I finally got a shop and it was time to pay for the shop, the woman disappeared. She vanished with my money and the money of several other people. We went to her house, called her phone, searched everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found. Till today, nobody knows where she is."
Nigerians React to Ajo Collector Story
Oma's experience struck a chord with many, prompting others to react in the comments section. @Olajumokemih said: "This thing is very common. They will vanish into the air with people's sweat and when you catch some they won't be able to account for how they spent the money." @TheEmmalez advised: "Just put your money in piggyvest." @AnyanwuMalachy commented: "Omo, I've never been a fan of Ajo, I just believe that you can have an account number where you remit such money into carefully and be disciplined enough not to touch it."
Things to Know About NRC Ponzi Scheme
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that thousands of Nigerians have been left counting their losses after the collapse of NRC, an online investment scheme, a Ponzi operation that allegedly trapped millions of naira belonging to unsuspecting investors. The platform's crash has sparked outrage on social media, with many victims sharing heartbreaking stories of lost savings and demanding answers.
