A Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, popularly know as Eleazar Okoro has accused a travel agency based in Ikeja, Lagos, Avidela International Service Ltd. of Visa scamming, defrauding him.
According to the UK-based Nigerian, all Avidela does is hold people’s money, use it for personal businesses and return the money after some time without getting anyone visa.
Okoro stressed that he got himself trapped in the net of Avidela, after the agency made a friendly offer to him.
Further said that the company assured him when he wanted to secure an Australian visa in 2022 that it would complete the visa process within 10 weeks, and that failure to secure the visa would see him get an 80 percent refund.
However, between March 21 and April 19, 2022, Okoro confirmed payment of N1 million to the company, hoping his visa would arrive within three months, but it never did.
Revealed at the end of the 10-week period, there was no visa.
“Six months after payment of N1 million, Avidela started giving me different tales of excuses,” he said.
According to Okoro, he requested a refund from Avidela upon the grim realisation that the company would rather tell him cockamamie stories than give him the value of what he paid them for.
“This was when the company started giving me excuses when I asked for my money. They blamed their inability to secure the visa on their partner,” he said.
The person who introduced me to Avidela International Service Ltd. had a similar issue, and it took a long time before they refunded him. This is a means for them to collect money, do their other businesses and refund people.
“I have tried to speak to them, but they barely take my calls. They make it seem as though I am disturbing them. I have tried to talk to them and threaten them with lawsuits, but it’s not working.”
“We called Avidela several times, but the company did not answer the calls. It also had not responded to Society Reporters text message as at press time.” he added.
