By Emmanuel Udom
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has rejected a petition against a Lagos based firm for alleged N5 million fraud sent to it by a Lagos-based non-governmental organization.
The petition against Mr. Uwa Onaifo Prosper, Managing Director, Home Class Nigeria Company and Uflyright Enterprises, dated January 24, 2024, signed by Debo Adeniran, chairman, The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), and addressed to the zonal commander of the anti-graft agency.
The NGO stated that EFCC rejected the petition, stating “that it falls below the threshold of the commission and could therefore not be documented and accepted for investigations”.
A copy of the petition sighted by our correspondent revealed that one Alhaja Danamodan Alimot Sadiat, was allegedly duped by one MR. UWA ONAIFO PROSPER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HOME CLASS NIGERIA COMPANY AND UFLYRIGHT ENTERPRISES. located at 87, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to Alhaja Sadiat, her husband and her Uwa to procure Entry Visa/Work Permit for her and her two children to the United Kingdom (U.K).
She claimed that, “having fulfilled all necessary requirements including financial obligations of over N5million, on agreed contract terms for the visa procurement, which ordinarily shouldn’t take more than 3 months as stated in Mr. Uwa company’s terms of agreement that was duly signed by both parties over a year ago, the visa procurement for her and her children have not seen the light of the day till now”.
She further explained that all efforts since July 2022, to get a refund of her money has proved abortive as all promises made by Uwa to do the needful have not been met till-date.
When CACOL contacted Uwa through a letter dated November 1, 2023 for his own side of the story and the steps he had taken to refund his client’s money since he had breached the Visa Procurement Service Engagement Agreement they both signed, he seemed not to be bothered by the weight of the allegations against him, as he did not deem it fit to reply our correspondence, as at the time of filling this report.
Our correspondent, June 26, 2024, also visited the Allen office of Uwa’s company for comment where he was told that the MD was not on seat.
However, Tola Oresanwa, program director for CACOL said that he was rattled when EFCC turned down the petition on an excuse that it is below the threshold of the jobs the anti-graft agency is handling.
This, he lamented, “that EFCC may be discriminatory and always looking out for big investigative activities from prominent, but allegedly corrupt individuals, groups, government agencies and others.”