In a surprising turn of events that has caused a stir online, a Nigerian man has confronted a local shoemaker after spotting him wearing an Ankara shirt that went missing from his wardrobe nearly two years ago.
The man, identified as AndreDonalds on social media, shared a video of the incident, showing him visibly shocked as he approached the shoemaker — commonly referred to as “Aboki” in parts of Nigeria — in his neighbourhood.
The short clip, which has since gone viral, was posted with the caption:
“I just saw an Aboki man wearing my Ankara/wear that I’ve been searching for close to 2 years now. Like WTF!”
In the video, AndreDonalds can be heard questioning the shoemaker about where he got the shirt. Although the shoemaker’s response was not captured clearly in the video, the moment sparked an outburst of laughter and reactions from bystanders and online viewers.
The video has quickly become a trending topic on Nigerian social media platforms. Reactions have ranged from hilarious jokes to serious questions about how the shirt may have changed hands.
One X (formerly Twitter) user, @bunsapocalypse, commented:
“But yours has green colour and his own seems like yellow abi eye dey do me?”
Others shared similar experiences of missing clothes mysteriously reappearing on someone else, sparking discussions about clothing theft, second-hand markets, and the informal exchange of clothes in local communities.
While the story seems amusing, it has also raised deeper conversations around how missing items sometimes find their way into bend-down-select markets (thrift markets) or are resold unknowingly by neighbours, dry cleaners, or even housemates.
In many Nigerian cities, second-hand clothes — known as “okrika” — are popular and often purchased without any knowledge of their origin. Some people on social media speculated that the shoemaker may have bought the shirt innocently from one of such markets.
Others joked that the shirt must have “gone on a journey” and has now finally “come home.”
“That shirt don travel reach North, now e don return home,” one TikTok user joked.
Despite the shock, the encounter between AndreDonalds and the shoemaker did not escalate into any serious argument or conflict. The man appeared more amused than angry, and some online users praised him for handling the situation calmly.
