Published 12th Apr, 2023

By Emmanuel Uti

Eleazar Okoro (not real name), a Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, has accused Avidela International Service Ltd., a travel agency based in Ikeja, Lagos, of defrauding him.

The UK-based Nigerian believes that all Avidela does is hold people’s money, use it for personal businesses and return the money after some time without getting anyone visa.

Narrating how he got himself trapped in the net of Avidela, Okoro said the agency made him a friendly offer.

He said the company told 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.

Between March 21 and April 19, 2022, Okoro paid N1 million to the company, hoping his visa would arrive within three months, but it never did.

Receipt of payment made to Avidela International Service.

“By the end of the 10-week period, I was yet to get my visa. Six months after I completed their payment of N1 million, Avidela started giving me different tales of excuses,” Okoro told FIJ.

Receipt of bank transfer made to Avidela

He said 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.”