Nigerians’ desire to seek greener pastures abroad, a development known as the “Japa Syndrome”, is fast becoming a door for some unscrupulous travel agents to defraud their clients.
A report of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Monday reveals the experiences of victims, other players in the travel sector and lawyers over the matter.
The respondents urged Nigerians to check the development by encouraging youths to stay back and invest their resources in the Nigerian system rather than in other countries.
NAN reports that some victims put in their retirement benefits, selling houses, cars, inheritance and other properties while attempting to meet up with the required funds to realise their dreams.
Some travel agents, who pleaded anonymity, affirmed the increasing number of fraudulent agents but advised intending travellers to look out for the legitimate ones to do business with.
A number of the scammed victims, who asked to stay anonymous, said they could not reveal much about their experiences because they were already being heard in courts of law.
NAN, however, obtained some documents affirming the trials of many agents in courts for allegedly defrauding their clients.
Two agents, simply identified as Timothy and Kayson, are currently being tried for allegedly defrauding about 150 people over the issuance of fake Australian visas and other related matters.
A victim, Mr Daniel Okwudiri, said he was introduced to an agent who promised to get him a U.S. visa and work permit, in addition to a caregiver’s job on arrival.
According to Okwudiri, he paid N3,835,500 into the agent’s account in October 2020 but the agent failed to either fulfil the promise or return his money.
He said the agent is currently standing trial on the matter.
A cleric alleged he was duped of N32,500,000 by an agent under the pretence of procuring him a work placement and Certificate of Sponsorship to the UK.
The cleric, Moses Igbekele (not real name), said he was introduced to a man who promised to hire him as a healthcare worker in his company in the UK.
He said the agent claimed the man’s company was a subsidiary of a neighbourhood healthcare owned by his wife, who is said to be a registered medical practitioner in the UK.
Igbekele said he deposited 33,800 pounds into the agent’s account in 2022 after checking the status online and not suspecting anything fraudulent.
He said both the man and the agent had since refused to pick up his calls and respond to other means of communication.
A businesswoman, Mrs Ruth Adebimpe, also a sub-agent in procuring travel papers, flight tickets and accommodation in the UK, described her ordeal in the hands of co-agents as depressing.
Adebimpe said she met another agent, here identified as Eze, who defrauded her and her client in August 2022 through another anonymous agent.
According to her, she saw the fraudulent agent’s advert on a Telegram (social media app) group and checked through his website, which claimed he had an office in Abuja.
“After all talks, discussions, persuasions and assurances, Mr Eze assured us that his office can procure a Certificate of Sponsorship and work placement for my client, who intends to work in the UK.
“On Feb. 11, 2021, I paid 2,800 pounds directly to his UK account, as directed by my agent, Eze. I also introduced 10 other people to him.
“Each of the 10 people paid 3,700 pounds. After payments, he ended all forms of correspondence. But after several Zoom meetings, failed promises and assurances, I discovered it was a scam,” said Adebimpe.
Another victim, Mr Abdulquadri Mohammed, said he was defrauded of N4,535,000 by a travel agency under the pretence of procuring him a Canadian student visa.
Mohammed said the agent, simply identified as Johnson, charged N1.7 million as a processing fee, inclusive of agent and visa fees, and another N450,000 for preparation and presentation of proof.
“He said he could also facilitate paying my school fees since he has a Canadian credit card to do that.
“I paid another 3,000 pounds between May and December 2021 while waiting for the outcome of my student visa, which was denied in March 2022.
“The agent, however, went behind me to request the refund of my tuition fee from the school.
“He impersonated me by using the soft copy of my international passport I sent to him during the visa application process.
“He forged my signature, printed and filled the tuition fee refund form with his details to make the school believe I was the one.
“The school fee was refunded through the agent’s account,” he said.
Another anonymous victim said a travel agent defrauded him of N14.3 million while trying to secure a visa and travel ticket to New Zealand.
According to him, he was issued a forged travelling ticket to New Zealand instead.
He claimed that the agent bought the ticket through a credit card, but this was done fraudulently somehow.
“There were so many failed promises, and later on, he turned around to threaten my life,” said the anonymous victim.
A family of four, who preferred anonymity, also claimed to have been duped of N60 million by fraudsters posing as travel agents promising to secure travel documents to the UK.
One of the said agents was also alleged to have deceived about 166 people in several deals amounting to N700 million.
NAN reports that some people present themselves as travel consultants (sub-agents), whose duties are to lure applicants to the main agents, thus defining the fraud chain.
According to an Ibadan-based lawyer, Mr Peter Idowu, the Japa syndrome has increased the rate at which desperate travellers fall as victims to fraudsters parading themselves as travel agents.
Idowu, however, said visa fraud cases were like other fraudulent cases.
“There are times the complainants, mostly those defrauded, will be able to recover their money if the matters are filed as civil cases for money earned and received, and failure of consideration.
“But in the criminal aspect too, one can press charges against the fraudsters and they will be dealt with appropriately.
“This means it is in two folds. One can recover your money, while the other can punish the offender,” he said.
Idowu blamed the criminal justice system for the delay experienced in getting justice, regretting that cases of fraud could take up to four years.
“The delay is not only limited to fraud cases. It is also like that in other criminal cases,” he said.
Some other lawyers, however, said they could not discuss their cases because they were already in different courts.
Members of the public were, however, urged to carefully look out for legitimate agents to avoid leaping into the hands of fake agents.
A retired teacher, Mrs Foluke Akinpelu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Narratot Global International, advised youths to stay back to develop Nigeria rather than travel to unknown destinations.
She said there were lots of untapped opportunities in Nigeria for the youths to harness instead of leaving the country’s shores in illegal, irregular and disheartening ways.
“We want the youths to be better in the future, not worse persons.
“There is nothing in the places they are running to. Instead, they should expend the same energy they want to go and use in these other countries to develop our own country Nigeria.
“We have no other place to call our own —- things are not that rosy in these places they are running to.
“If the youths of these places run to Nigeria, who will develop their countries that you are now seeing as the Eldorado?
“Why can’t they look for something better to do with the millions of Naira they use in processing the travelling?
“A million Naira is something for any reasonable youth,” said the 65-year-old retired teacher.” (NAN)