By Olusegun Samuel Precious
The Imo State Police Command has launched an extensive investigation into TMT Travels and Tours Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ifeanyi Onukwubiri, following allegations of a multi-million naira visa fraud scheme targeting Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad.
The police intervention followed a petition and public intervention by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who mobilized several alleged victims and presented their grievances to law enforcement authorities in Owerri.
According to police reports and victim statements, the travel agency allegedly defrauded clients seeking work and residence visas to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Luxembourg. Affected applicants claim the firm collected over N500 million in total, promising travel visas in exchange for large upfront deposits ranging from N1.5 million to N3 million.
Victims reported a recurring pattern: enticing social media promotions featuring celebrity endorsements, followed by months of unfulfilled promises, evasive communication, and the withholding of international passports. During preliminary operations, police officers recovered nine Nigerian passports from the company’s custody.
Several applicants shared accounts of severe financial hardship resulting from the transactions, including a Lagos resident whose passport was withheld for five months and an applicant from Enugu who claimed the agency blocked his social media accounts after failing to meet court-agreed refund deadlines.
Following directives from the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Command’s Monitoring Unit took charge of the case. Onukwubiri was subsequently arraigned before an Owerri Magistrate Court on charges bordering on visa fraud and obtaining money under false pretenses before being granted bail.
Addressing the media, Onukwubiri stated that the company remains open to processing refund requests for clients no longer interested in pursuing their applications. However, several victims maintained that no payments have been issued despite formal agreements.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, advised members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with travel agencies, assuring that efforts remain ongoing to recover funds and travel documents for affected individuals through established legal channels.
