Names and locations in the below have been withheld to protect the individuals involved and ensure their privacy. The events described took place at a fictitious police station here in Nigeria, which we shall refer to as Elmwood Police Station, located in an undisclosed area.

On the 3rd of July 2023, I visited the Elmwood Police Station to officially report a deeply troubling case of employment visa fraud that had ensnared my family. At the heart of this distressing situation was an individual, hereinafter referred to as John Smith, who claimed to be the co-founder of XYZ Consultancy in Elmwood.

This convoluted narrative of deceit commenced when John Smith posted an alluring advertisement offering Australian work visas for a substantial sum of three million and five hundred thousand naira (3.5 million). To initiate the visa application process, an initial fee of two hundred and fifty thousand naira was demanded. My sibling, eager to explore this opportunity, engaged John Smith in January, resulting in an initial payment of two hundred and fifty thousand naira (250,000) as the visa processing fee.

Approximately one month after this payment, John Smith presented a document purportedly issued by the Australian government's Department of Home Affairs, supposedly confirming the grant of a visa. Naturally, we exercised caution and cross-referenced the visa grant number on the Department of Home Affairs' website. To our astonishment, we discovered an existing visa granted to my sibling, thus prompting our request for the promised employment letter, which John Smith insisted would only be provided in exchange for an additional payment of two million naira.

With a sense of reluctance, we made the payment, only to receive an employment letter from Acme Shipping, an Australian shipping company, which, upon scrutiny, proved to be a counterfeit document. When we confronted John Smith with this fraudulent evidence, he cunningly shifted blame onto his agent in Australia, deceitfully requesting more time to rectify the situation while having no intention to do so. Frustrated by this lack of sincerity, we made the decision to escalate the matter, leading us to formally lodge a complaint at Elmwood Police Station.

Upon my arrival at Elmwood Police Station, I was directed to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), specifically an office known as Office A. There, I encountered an officer, Officer James, who, dressed in plainclothes, welcomed me cordially and invited me to provide a detailed account of the case. He subsequently assigned another officer, Officer Sarah, to handle the matter.

Officer Sarah and I proceeded to her office, where she informed me that, in order to initiate an investigation into the case, I would be required to make a financial contribution. Initially, she mentioned a sum of one hundred thousand naira (100,000), but after some negotiation and appeals on my part, she reluctantly agreed to accept seventy thousand naira. This payment was facilitated through a point-of-sale (POS) operator, who provided an account at Elmwood Bank under the name Mary Johnson. I executed two transfers, thirty thousand naira initially and an additional forty thousand naira a few minutes later from my XYZ Bank account, retaining the transaction receipts as evidence.

With the transfers confirmed, Officer Sarah proceeded to draft a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Elmwood State, on my behalf, requesting my signature, and boldly typing my name on the letter.

Approximately two weeks following the submission of the petition, Officer Sarah contacted me, conveying the approval of the Commissioner to proceed with the case. We subsequently paid a visit to XYZ Consultancy in Elmwood. Regrettably, John Smith was not present, and thus, Officer Sarah issued an invitation letter. During this visit, she requested five thousand naira for logistical support.

Upon receiving the police-invitation letter, John Smith enlisted the services of an inspector of police in an attempt to persuade us to settle the matter privately. He expressed his willingness to refund the monies in installments. However, we declined this offer, having already officially reported the issue to the police. We insisted that John Smith should appear at the police headquarters before any agreement could be considered. These discussions transpired via conference call due to John Smith's consistent absence.

I promptly informed Officer Sarah of John Smith's new approach, and she instructed me not to entertain any private agreements, emphasizing that the matter had been officially reported to the police. Surprisingly, a few days later, Officer Sarah revealed that she had received a transfer of two hundred and fifty thousand naira from John Smith as partial reimbursement for the funds he had received from my sibling. This development deeply upset my sibling when I conveyed this information. In response, my sibling contacted the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) team in another jurisdiction, who subsequently communicated with an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) at Elmwood Police Station. I was provided with her contact number to describe my ordeal.

Upon contacting the ACP, she summoned Officer James, Officer Sarah, and me to her office, where we recounted our respective sides of the story. Officer Sarah attempted to justify her request for 10 percent of the received funds, citing operational expenses, but the ACP reprimanded her, clarifying that we had reported fraud, not a debt.

After the meeting with the ACP, we returned to Office A, Officer James's office. Officer James assured us that the case would reach a satisfactory resolution and shared his contact number, urging me to reach out anytime. Despite my expressed concerns about Officer Sarah's demeanor and commitment to the case, Officer James insisted that there was no issue and that Officer Sarah would continue handling the matter. Following this, I signed some documents and received two hundred and fifty thousand naira in cash, which had been transferred by John Smith to Officer Sarah. Officer Sarah was visibly agitated, expressing her preference for an electronic transfer, a preference I had declined.

One month passed after the ACP's intervention, and I attempted to contact Officer James. Initially, he did not answer my calls, and after sending an SMS, I received no response. After waiting for an additional week, I attempted to call him again, and this time, he picked up but sounded dismissive. He instructed me to visit Elmwood Police Station and speak with Officer Chris, the officer currently handling the case, before ending the call. This left me feeling perplexed and disillusioned.

At this juncture, my confidence in Elmwood Police Station has eroded significantly, as the suspect, John Smith, continues to operate with impunity, advertising himself as a visa agent across various social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn and TikTok.

Kindly offer advice on my next steps to safeguard the public from deceitful individuals in our community.

I wish our Police officers were Artificial Intelligence.

Pls don't give them any more money

Why not post the main names instead of changing it?

What are you afraid of?
Why are you shielding them?

Your experience is overly doctored.

KyleJason:
Why not post the main names instead of changing it?

What are you afraid of?
Why are you shielding them?

Your experience is overly doctored.

no mind am.how person wan advise when everything na fictitious name.mtchewww

KyleJason:
Why not post the main names instead of changing it?

What are you afraid of?
Why are you shielding them?

Your experience is overly doctored.

the man is not serious….anyone that advises him should have his or her head examined.

Why withheld the information of criminals?