Police authorities in Edo State have wondered why an aggrieved female shopper resorted to rant on social media instead of reporting her unpleasant encounter at Hallmark supermarket in Benin with the police for necessary action.
This followed a trending video of yet-to-be identified woman on Facebook, calling out, hauling insults and accusing the supermarket of stealing some of the items she bought in the sum of N981,000 (Nine Hundred and Eight One Thousand Naira) on the fateful day.
Donned in a pair of glasses, the woman said she discovered that about 80 percent of the items — on her payment slip at the supermarket’s counter, were not accounted for, leaving her highly traumatized.
She alleged that when she discovered that something was amiss when she arrived home, she returned to Hallmark and lodged the complainant to the management which promised to review their Close Circuit Camera, CCTV footages.
The shopper who stood in front of the supermarket where she ranted over the incident, alleged that instead of unmasking the culprits who had their hands in the till, Hallmark, chose to play the victim’s game and refused to accept responsibility for the incident that is drawing backlash on the Internet amongst netizens.
“I came here yesterday (Thursday 5th March 2026). I bought goods worth N981,000. Only for me to get home yesterday to discover that what I bought was not taken alongside with us”, the shopper alleged.
“They did not give the complete goods I paid for. They stole the things I bought at Hallmark”, she said, “I have been here since morning, trying to resolve the issue. At the end, they started apportioning blame for not checking the goods I bought”.
She also asked, “are you seeing the way they operate? And nothing was found. Only for me to be going through the CCTV to know what happened to the goods. At the end of the day, they could not resolve it.
“They stole half of my goods I loaded in 8-9 trollies on that day. Only seven cartons were found. The major things that I paid for, I could not find them. If there be God in heaven, he will answer me”, she said.
Contacted, the spokesperson of the Nigeria police Command in Edo State, ASP Eno Ekoedem, stated that Hallmark as a time-tested business empire, the management is expected to do due diligence before making their findings public.
But Ekoedem lamented that ranting social media, could compromise trace of evidence and the burden of proof essentially needed for diligent investigation by the police and court when the need arises.
She noted that neither Hallmark not the woman did not come to the police to report any case of theft, a development that makes it a bit complicated for the police to intervene.
According to her, “The woman did not come to report any case of theft with the police. So, if Hallmark or the woman did not report the case, on what ground will the police investigate?”.
“Social media doesn’t stop investigation. For those who case to listen, social media do not help your case. If you have the intention to do certain things on social media, why not wait and allow the investigation to be concluded first you out the same content on social media.
“The law said he who asserts must proof. We (police) are only enforcers of the law”, according to Ekoedem.
TheNewspad reports that attempts to reach contact the Management of Hallmark for comments were unsuccessful.
