Adefemi Abiodun (not real name), a Lagos-based travel agent, has detailed how Olawunmi Olasunbo, the owner of Nick Travels and Tours, failed to deliver a South African e-visa he paid N485,000 to process in January.
Abiodun told FIJ that he paid the sum of N270,000 and N215,000 to Olasunbo at different points for proof of funds and part payment for visa processing, respectively.
He said, being a travel agent himself, he contacted Olasunbo because he could not process the visa and she promised to make it ready in two weeks.
“I contacted Olasunbo to help me process a South African e-visa, and she agreed to make it ready in two weeks. This is not the first time I have transacted business with her. She helps my clients process their Dubai visas, and she does it well,” he told FIJ.
“I paid N270,000 for proof of funds and N215,000 as part-payment for visa processing. In January, she promised that it would be approved in February.
“In February, each time I visited her two office locations, they were locked. She has also not been picking up my calls or responding to my WhatsApp messages.”
Abiodun said that the money paid to Olasunbo was for a client who was now demanding a refund, as it is the norm for their business to refund a customer once the visa isn’t issued or the service paid for is not rendered.
“The visa is for a client, and he is currently demanding a refund of his money since he did not receive his visa,” he said.
“Once the visa is not issued and the service is not delivered, you refund the client’s money.”
He also added that Olasunbo had not claimed the visa was not successful but had been making empty promises that it would soon be out.
“She never told me the process wasn’t successful, just empty promises that it would soon be out,” said Abiodun.
When FIJ first reached out to Olasunbo on April 3 for a reaction, she did not answer her calls or respond to text and WhatsApp messages sent to her.
However, on April 5, Olasunbo reached out to say the South African visa was being processed and she would contact Abiodun on April 7.
“The South African visa was processed and pending; I told him to be patient a bit to await the approval, sir. I will call you once I’m back to Lagos on Sunday,” she wrote.
When FIJ sent further follow-up text messages on April 8, there was no response. Another message was sent on April 16, and she said, “Good day. I’ll call once settled. I already told him I applied.”
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