Dubai-based Emirates
Vacation Club (EVC) has allegedly scammed about 2,000 Nigerians through dubious
investment. The victims invested several thousands of US dollars in 99 years
time-sharing private residency accommodation at a 45-storey Emirates Grand
Hotel (EGH) on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
According to reports of
three meetings held in separate locations in Nigeria by the victims towards
seeking redress on the matter, Nigerians and other nationals were lured into
investing in EVC on arrival at Dubai Airport. As a product of their meetings, a
Focal Persons Committee (FPC) has been set up with the mandate to pursue legal
and diplomatic means to recover all money invested.
According to New Telegraph,
the FPC has also been mandated to write the Federal Government through the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly, Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Inspector General of Police/ Interpol and United Arab
Emirates Embassy in Nigeria.
Nigerian investors held
three separate meetings, under the auspices of FPC in Enugu on March 28, Abuja
on April 2 and in Lagos on April 3 to strategize on how to recoup their
investments from EVC/EGH.
Some others, who lodged in
hotels operated by the Emirates Group such as Emirates Towers had their
personal details accessed by EVC, through which the staff of EVC subsequently
made telephone calls to the lodgers’ rooms and invited them for discussions at
the office of EVC located in the EGH, Dubai, the reports said.
The affected Nigerians
alleged that when EVC found out that many Nigerians had invested so much, it
moved into Nigeria and incorporated Global EVC with certificate number RC
1005770 issued on January 24, 2012. Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the
group and FPC Chairman, Mr. Donald Nwandu, said the EVC opened an office on 9,
Bourdillon Road, Ikoji, Lagos, after discovering that many Nigerians were
interested in the investment.
In addition, EVC also
operated openly at the remodelled domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Ikeja and malls in Lekki area, he said.
He said: “Nigerians, who
invested with EVC Global in Nigeria, paid money into bank accounts opened with
Zenith and GTB. It was discovered that about 10,000 people have, so far, paid
money for just 32 apartments that EVC and EVC Global leased from Emirates Grand
Hotel.”
Efforts to get the EVC to
respond to the allegations proved abortive, as several emails sent to them for
more than two weeks were not responded to at the time of filing this
report.Also, another member of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Ejime, said some members
had been frustrated by EVC by arbitrarily increasing the annual maintenance fee
from the contract sum of $350 to between $600 and $700.
New Telegraph
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