How Nigeria Police officers aided N1.6bn travel scam – Nepalese national reveals
Nepalese National Alleges Police Involvement in N1.6 Billion Fraud Scheme
ABUJA, Nigeria — A Nepalese national, identified only as Bista, has accused some officers of the Nigeria Police Force of involvement in a fraudulent scheme that purportedly cost him and other foreign nationals approximately N1.6 billion.
In an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as “VeryDarkMan,” Bista detailed how he and numerous others were led to believe they could relocate to Suriname for business opportunities.
The alleged scheme was reportedly orchestrated by Emmanuel Masa, a Cameroonian residing in Nigeria, who claimed to have established a partnership with Azman Airlines and another company to facilitate travel documentation and chartered flights to the South American nation.
Bista stated that he traveled to Abuja from Gambia in 2023 with six associates, reassured by Masa that the arrangements were legitimate. His confidence reportedly grew after a visit to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters, where police officers allegedly convened a meeting with the prospective travelers.
“One of the officers openly vouched for Masa, assuring those present that the arrangement was legitimate,” Bista recalled. “After the involvement of the police, we had nothing to worry about.” He further stated that he paid an initial $20,000 for the trip after being promised that the flight would depart within two weeks.
However, when the departure failed to occur, Masa allegedly attributed the delay to an insufficient number of passengers and urged travelers to recruit more individuals for the journey.
