The suspect
identified as Emu-Larry Chidebere, who hails from Ika North Local Government
Area of Delta State, according to the squad, allegedly collected N400,000 for
the procurement of the United Arab Emirate’s visa from prospective travellers.
Operatives of
the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Lagos State Police Command, have arrested a
28-year-old man, who claimed he was a travel agent and defrauded prospective
travellers of N2 million.
The bubble
burst after one of the victims, Abraham Jude, reported him to the squad,
following his inability to get the UAE visa from the suspect, months after
payment of N400,000.
Explaining
how he came in contact with the suspect, a devastated Abraham said: “When I was
laid off from my work place in Abuja, I had the intention of moving out of the
country to start a new life.
“I met one
Mr. Samuel Obed, who told me that his nephew was working with a company in the
United Arab Emirates and that he could help me secure that country’s visa. “We
started communicating via telephone and he assured me that he could secure
Dubai visa for me at a reasonable price. He requested for N400,000, which I
told him I could not afford at that time.
“Later, he
called me again to say that his office in Dubai was recruiting and that he had
already submitted my name for employment. “He reeled out the benefits attached
to the employment and I began to source for the money. At the end of the day I
got the N400,000 and sent to him in Dubai through his Access Bank account. “Two
days after payment, he stopped picking my calls. Even when he does, he would
tell me that I shouldn’t bother myself any more that my money has gone down the
drain.
This prompted
me to report the case to the RRS.” Arrested Vanguard gathered that it took the
RRS four months before the suspect could be tracked down, as he reportedly
travelled to Dubai and also changed his telephone number on arriving Nigeria. During
interrogation, the suspect admitted to have collected the money from the
victim, but said that he spent the money when efforts to secure the visa for
him failed.
He said: “I
can’t deny the fact that I collected N400,000 from him. I actually tried to
secure the visa for him but all my efforts were in vain. And I started spending
the money gradually till I spent it all.” Four other victims who alleged to
have paid Chidebere N400,000 each for UAE visa also visited RRS office in
Alausa, when they got wind of his arrest. Confirming the arrest, the Lagos
State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmus, said that the suspect had
been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence
Department, SCIID, Yaba, for further investigation.
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