September 30, 2019 seemed like a normal business
day for Dayo Ayoade, Managing Director of Travel Deals Limited, Lagos, until he
discovered that Guaranty Trust Bank Plc had placed a lien on his bank account.
On approaching the bank, he was arrested and detained at the Area F Police
Station, Lagos State without any charge for a period of five days, placed in
the cell amongst hardened criminals and handcuffed to the hospital bed like a
common criminal and later transferred to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Enquiries from his family about his whereabouts revealed that a certain Joseph
Ezekwugo, Technology Manager at Shell Petroleum, Port Harcourt, ordered his
arrest, alleging that he was duped by Ayoade and should be remanded in police
custody until he pays the sum of N3.4 million.
Ayoade said: “The whole drama started on July 22, 2019 when one Ayanniyi
Babatunde Daniel of Range Travels came to my office to make enquiries about my
discount tables for sub agents and expressed his willingness to do business
with me. He told me to do travel reservations for Mr. Joseph Ezekwugo from
Lagos to Winnipeg on Lufthansa, Ottawa to Winnipeg for his son on West Jet,
Lagos to London return for Jenmi Nikky Omolola on British Airways and Oke
Oluwale Abayomi on Ethiopian Airline. The reservations were made and
immediately forwarded to Mr. Ayanniyi Babatunde via WhatsApp. I gave him my
GTBank account number before he left the office to enable him make payment once
his client gives his approval.
“Later that evening, an unregistered number called me and introduced himself as
Joseph Ezekwugo from Port Harcourt and wanted to know if he’s speaking with the
MD of Travel Deals Limited, I answered in affirmation and he told me his agent
(Ayaniyi Babatunde) gave him my number and account. I called Ayaniyi Babatunde
and notified him of the call from Mr. Ezekwugo Joseph and he confirmed to me
that he gave him my details. Shortly after that I got an alert of Seven Hundred
Thousand Naira (700,000.00) from Mr. Ezekwugo Joseph. I immediately called the
two of them to notify them of the payment and Mr. Ayanniyi told me that more
payment will still be made as he (Mr. Ezekwugo) will be traveling with members
of his family.
“The following day, on July 23rd, 2019 I received another payment of Five
Hundred and Fifty Seven Thousand Two Hundred Naira (N557,200.00). I again
notified Mr. Ezekwugo via text message and called Mr. Ayanniyi to let me know
the tickets to be issued as I will not be responsible for any increase in fares
and he told me he will liaise with his client get back to me and even confirmed
that more payment will still be made.
“About a week after, Mr. Ayanniyi came to my office and asked me to issue
ticket as follows:
“(1) British Airways ticket to London for Jenmi Nikky Omolola at a cost of
Seven Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Ninety Eight Naira
(N755,598.00).
“(2) On August 19th, 2019, he was in my office to issue another Ethiopian
Airline ticket for Vitalla Golla at a cost Three Hundred and Fifty Three
Thousand Six Hundred and Two Naira (N353,602.00).
“Same day, he asked me to issue another ticket for a local flight to Mr.
Ezekwugo from Port Harcourt to Lagos but I told him we don’t do local tickets
because of the stress involved. He then requested that I send him the balance
of One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira (120,000.00) after deducting the
Twenty Thousand Naira (20,000.00) I borrowed him to enable him source for Mr.
Ezekwugo’s local flight ticket.
“On September 26th, 2019 an unregistered number called me and introduced
himself as Inspector Dominic from Port Harcourt. He asked if I know Mr. Joseph
Ezekwugo and why I issued him a fake ticket. I told Inspector Dominic that
though I don’t know Mr. Joseph Ezekwugo in person but we spoke with twice on
phone and I didn’t issue any ticket to him. I further told the Inspector that
the two tickets I issued from the payment Mr. Ezekwugo gave me were in favor of
Jenmi Nikky Omolola and Vitalla Golla which were on instruction Mr. Ayanniyi
Babatunde, his agent and that the balance of his money has since been
transferred Mr. Ayanniyi Babatunde. Inspector Dominic later made a snapshot of
the purported fake tickets to me and I told him that what he sent to me did not
originate from me as they did not even resemble my company’s ticket format.
“Shortly after, I called Mr. Joseph Ezekwugo to intimate him of what Inspector
Dominic told me but was surprised when he affirmed it. I questioned why he
didn’t notify me when he realized the ticket given to him by his agent were
fake, he gave no answer to that and further said my company has been used to
defraud him by his agent.
“All attempts to get in touch with Mr. Ayanniyi Babatunde who was the one that
came to my office to do all the negotiations proved abortive as he initially
refused to pick calls and when he eventually picked, he was so evasive as he
kept giving excuses of not been around.
“On September 30th, 2019, I realized my GTBank account was frozen and I had to
go to GTbank to enquire why there is a restriction on my account, to my
surprise, the bank’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) showed me some documents from
the Inspector General’s office effecting my arrest on sight. I followed him to
the Police Station hoping that the issue will soon be resolved since I knew I
had not committed any fraud.
“We met the DPO who took us to the Area Commander and after so much going back
and forth, I was detained and locked up in the cell. Due to my ill health, I
was moved from the cell to stay behind the counter overnight. My health got
worse the following day and was taken to the hospital (Cottage) on the order of
the DPO and was handcuffed to the bed. I was treated for my Asthma ailment and
in the cause of the treatment, it was discovered I had developed high blood
pressure.
“I was moved to police station again on Thursday morning where I spent the day
and night behind the counter before Inspector Dominic finalized his paper work
and we proceeded on the trip to Port Harcourt. We were to move by road but had
to buy flight tickets for the two police officers that came from Port Harcourt
namely Inspector Igwe Dominic and Sargent Oludare Olamide.
“We got to Port Harcourt same Friday, I wrote my statement with the police and
later met one Mr. Chukwukaelo Ogadinma who said he is Mr. Joseph’s Personal
Assistant. Mr. Ogadinma insisted that I must pay Three Million Five Hundred
Thousand Naira (N3,500,000.00) before I can be granted bail. It was later
discovered that Mr. Chukwukaelo Ogadinma is a staff of Shell and was employed
by Mr. Joseph Ezekwugo to further confuse and make believe the allegation
against me. To further put fear and intimidation in me as well as extort money,
Mr. Ogadinma boasted of how much money he had paid the police to effect my
arrest and that the said amount must be paid before my release. All pleas to
release me fell on deaf ears.
“Not even my proposal to be responsible for the only Two Million Two Hundred
Thousand Naira (2,200,000.00) which was the cost of the fresh ticket Mr. Joseph
claimed he bought since he already had the plan to travel and to spend One
Million Two hundred and Fifty Seven Thousand Two Hundred (N1,257,200.00)
yielded any positive result as his “PA” insisted I have to pay Three Million
Naira N(3,000,000.00) final payment or else I should remain in police custody.
Already I was locked up in the cell with criminals and couldn’t imagine
spending another night there.
“When all pleas fell on his deaf ears, a friend of mine, Jide Akinuli
transferred Three Million Naira (3,000,000.00) to Mr. Chukwukaele Ogadinma and
upon receipt of the payment, which he confirmed via online banking, he asked
the Police to release me.
“After all the necessary paper work, I was released on bail later that Friday
night.”
