No fewer than 75 Nigerians have reportedly lost more than N100 million to an alleged visa fraud scheme after being promised relocation opportunities to Canada.
The victims, who were said to have paid between N3 million and N12 million each, were allegedly deceived by suspected visa facilitators who claimed they could secure Canadian visas and employment opportunities abroad.
Findings revealed that many of the victims sold personal property, borrowed money, or rented out their apartments to raise the required funds, only to later discover that the promised visas were never forthcoming.
One of the victims, identified simply as Mr Promise, reportedly paid N11 million for the arrangement and resigned from his job in anticipation of relocating to Canada.
A source close to him disclosed that the development has left him in severe financial distress.
The source said, “He sold the property he had and even persuaded his younger brother to take advantage of what he believed was a genuine opportunity to relocate. Now he has lost his job and is struggling to survive.”
According to the source, Mr Promise is currently unable to pay his children’s school fees and has also been battling health challenges linked to the emotional and financial stress caused by the incident.
“He now moves between Port Harcourt and his village just to survive,” the source added.
At the centre of the controversy is Dr Nekebari Nathan Dambere, a self-acclaimed travel trainer and medical doctor, who was recently arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged N39.1 million visa-related fraud in Port Harcourt.
When contacted, Dambere admitted that he was not a travel agent but described himself as a travel trainer who connects prospective migrants with middlemen who facilitate travel processes.
He acknowledged that funds channelled through him for the visa arrangements amounted to about N100 million.
“Sometimes people pay money through me to middlemen, some of whom are in Nigeria while others are outside the country,” he said.
Dambere, however, claimed efforts were being made to recover the money from the agents involved so that the victims could be refunded.
According to him, the agents had indicated willingness to refund the money in instalments, though he did not provide a timeline for the repayment.
His lawyer, Barrister Stanley Princewill, said the suspect had already begun refunding some of the money before the aggrieved victims escalated the matter to the EFCC.
Princewill appealed to the victims to cooperate with his client to facilitate the recovery of the funds.
“I feel for these people. Some sold their assets while others rented out their apartments. But they should support this young man to pursue and recover the money rather than frustrate the process,” the lawyer said.
He maintained that Dambere specialises in training caregivers and helping them secure employment opportunities abroad.
“He also assesses the health condition of his clients and facilitates job opportunities for them in Canada and other countries. He is not a travel agent,” Princewill added.
However, several victims accused the suspect of deliberately misleading them.
They alleged that after it became clear that the promised visas would not materialise, Dambere allegedly deleted an existing WhatsApp group created for the applicants and opened another to recruit new participants into the scheme.
The victims said they had now petitioned the Rivers State Police Command, demanding a full investigation and the immediate recovery of their money.
Some of them expressed doubts about the possibility of getting refunds.
One of the victims who spoke anonymously said,
“What I want now is my money. I no longer want the visa or any travel documents. Any genuine process should not take this long.”
Another victim said many of those affected had sold valuable property to raise the money.
“We believed him because he spoke convincingly and appeared trustworthy. None of us imagined that the whole arrangement could be a scam,” the victim said.
The victims also alleged that Dambere had been in hiding since last year, making it difficult for them to recover their money.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she would verify the matter before issuing an official statement.
Source : Vanguard
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