Duped, stranded in Nigeria

For 29-year-old Regan Bongko, a native of Bamanda in Cameroun, life will never be the same again. Bongko’s dream of a greener pasture in Australia has turned into a nightmare, courtesy of some devil-led Nigerians who tricked him into parting with his hard-earned funds. And not done yet, they have held on to his passport, denying him the opportunity to move on.

The Nigerian Xpress gathered that Bongko was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the proposal for a better job in another country came to him. He immediately resigned from his job and came down to Nigeria where he has become homeless and helpless.

Bongko told our reporter that he met the fraudsters through one of his ‘sisters’ simply identified simply as Jen, who resides in Lagos. He was optimistic and never thought he could fall into wrong hands, with her involvement.

The scale fell off his eyes when he went to Australian Embassy and German Embassy in Abuja respectively to confirm the authenticity of the travel documents issued to him. They were certified fake.

Bongko tells his story: “Around July, 2018, one of my sisters from Cameroun, but resident in Lagos called me while I was in Dubai, she told me about an offer of going to Canada with a work permit visa. It sounds very interesting to me because we were treated like slaves in Dubai. In the months of August 2018, I left Dubai and landed in Cameroun. From there, I came to Nigeria.

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Before then, I had told her that accommodation would be my major problem because I do not have enough money to pay for a hotel for the one month the processing would last, but she assured me that the man connecting me to who would do the visa for me would accommodate me. The day I landed at the airport in Lagos, she came with the man,

Mr. Richard, they picked me. From there, Mr. Richard took me to a hotel where I ate before going to his house. The next day, he asked me for the deposit so he would take me to the person that woud do the Australian visa for me, but I told him that Jen never told me of any initial deposit. He opened his phone and showed me all the chats he had with Jen with dates.

When I confronted Jen, she tried to claim ignorance of the communication, but later told me that she would take me to another person that would do the visa for me as someone had told her that Richard was a bad man.”

As a first time visitor in Nigeria, Bongko relied on the information from Jen, but as it has turned out, he said the same man they told him was bad is the one who has been taking care of him for six months now. His words, “After she told me that Richard was a bad man, I now lied to Richard that I was waiting for money to process the visa from my elder sister. So, Jen took me to one Austin Chizoba from Anambra State. Both of them live in the same house in Cele Area.

Subsequently, the duo took me to one Bobby  who lives in Mile 2 area. From there, they took me to Ikorodu and introduced me to one man they claimed is a pastor. The pastor told me not to fear that I should trust them. We now negotiated for Australian visa for N1,800.000. They said I should deposit N350,000 first and pay the balance when the visa has been issued. I paid the deposit into Austin’s account domiciled at Fidelity Bank. After one week, someone told Richard who accommodated me about the development. He was very angry with me.

He wanted to eject me from his house. He asked me how I came across the people I told him it was Jen who took me to them. He demanded to see the people. Jen now brought Austin to his house. He asked Austin the guarantee in getting the visa. Austin told him that the visa was sure and that they would return my money if they failed to provide the visa. Richard now told Austin again that his reason for keeping me in his house was that his in-law was supposed to assist in procuring the Visa, but now that he had started the work, if he could allow me to stay in his own house, but Austin refused and told him that I would stay in a hotel for two weeks, then move to Abuja. Richard then if it would take only two weeks, he would still allow me to stay in his house.

Three weeks after, Richard asked me when I would be going to Abuja, but Austin said it was not yet time. Two months after, they said my visa had been granted, that it was an electronic visa, they sent a copy to me, requesting for their balance. I took the visa to Lagos airport to verify, but when I got there they told me that I could not travel to Australia without a German residence permit. I called Austin and informed him. He said they were processing the permit and that once I pay their balance, they would send it. They said I should send another N200,000 to enable them to complete the whole documents.

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I sent another N200,000 to same Austin’s account with Fidelity Bank, making it N550,000 now. But I noticed that Austin was transferring the money to Bobby’s account. They now said I should send my air ticket money N800,000 with their balance so they would book my flight. When I told Mr. Richard about the development, he refused and said I should go to Abuja and verify the documents since Austin said those making the documents were in Abuja. I told Austin that I would want us to go to Abuja and verify the documents, but he said he was in the village that I should send transport fare to him. He later sent me a number to call when I get to Abuja”

It was in Abuja that it dawn on Bongko that he had been duped. He said immediately the fellow that was supposed to pick him up in Abuja sighted him from afar, talking with someone, he quickly dashed into his car and zoomed off.

Hear Bongko: “Mr. Richard gave me money to travel to Abuja. He warned me never to meet them at night or stay in any hotel they provided. I got to Abuja around 9:00pm on November 18, 2018 and called the number Austin gave me, but the fellow kept saying he was busy for two days. On the third day, he said I should come under the bridge at Nyanya area. When I got there with my friend who lives in Abuja, the fellow called me to identify my position.

I told him where I was, because I was standing alone. He now said I should come to his car. He asked me to enter the car, but I told him that I was with a friend and that I would like to inform him. When I went to where my friend parked his car, apparently sensing danger, the fellow immediately jumped into his own car zoomed off. He later called me on phone, querying why I came with policemen, that he saw the policemen.

He said he wanted to tell me the truth, that he was not part of the scam, that he only received N50,000, and that he had told them to return my passport and money. My friend and I drove to both the German and Australian embassies in Abuja and they told us that the documents were fake. I returned to Lagos frustrated.”

In a bid to recover his passport and money, Bongko said he had reported the matter at Okokomaiko Police Station with the help of Mr. Richard, but was still to hear from the police. His Words, “They are still with my international passport and money. I went to where Austin lived and was told that he no longer resided in that house, that the house belongs to his elder sister. I still have two years Dubai Visa in my passport. Now I cannot even travel back even to my country.

I had reported the matter at Okoko Police Station but I have not heard from them. I visited the station last on December 22, 2018, still no news. They said they would call me if there is any development, as the bank had not replied to their letter since December. For six months now I have been stranded in Nigeria. If not for the help of same man they told me was bad, I would have been dead by now.”

When The Nigerian Xpress contacted Bobby on his cellphone to find out why they are still in possession of the Bongko’s international passport, he said he was contacting some people and would get back to the victim. A copy of the Australian visa made available to The Nigerian Xpress read in parts; “Dear Regan Bongko, we have granted you e-visitor visa on 12 September, 2018. Visa duration and travel must not arrive after 12 September, 2019. Passport or other travelling documents, country Germany. Visa condition, Business Visitor activity.

In his own reaction, Mr. Richard Chukwudi, with who Bongko living, said he never envisaged that Austin had a dubious mind. He said after he was betrayed, people advised him to send the victim away but his conscience did not allow him. “My in-law was supposed to do the visa for him, but they deceived him. For six months now, he has been in my house. I am the one taking care of his bills. I have taken him to Okokomaiko Police station. I believe the police will apprehend them soon.”

Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Okokomaiko Police Station, Lagos Police Command. CSP Aliyu S. Lukman told The Nigerian Xpress that the police had written to the bank since last year, but were still to get any reply from the bank. He said, “We have written to the bank since last year we have not heard from them. This is one of the problems we are facing. Sometimes, most of them will never reply to such letter which is very bad and slows down investigation.”