A Nepalese national named Bista has revealed how he lost approximately N1.6 billion in a fraudulent scheme allegedly involving officers at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja. In an interview with social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan or VDM, Bista detailed how he and dozens of other foreign nationals were lured with false promises of relocation to Suriname for business opportunities. The scam, he claims, was orchestrated by a Cameroonian man named Emmanuel Masa, who was based in Nigeria and presented himself as a trusted facilitator of international travel and visa arrangements.
Bista stated that he first arrived in Abuja from Gambia in 2023 with six associates after being assured the relocation plan was legitimate. He said Masa claimed to have secured a partnership between Azman Airlines and another company to provide visas, travel documents, and chartered flights to Suriname. The promise of a smooth and legal journey to South America convinced Bista and others to invest significant sums of money. He personally paid an initial $20,000, confident that the flight would depart within two weeks as promised.
What made the scheme appear credible, according to Bista, was the involvement of police officers at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. He recounted being taken to a meeting where officers were present and one of them openly vouched for Masa, assuring the group that the arrangement was genuine. “After the involvement of the police, we had nothing to worry about,” Bista said, explaining that this endorsement gave him and others a false sense of security. With that assurance, he proceeded to pay the initial fee without hesitation.
However, the promised flight never materialized. When delays occurred, Masa blamed the issue on insufficient passenger numbers and urged the group to recruit more people to meet the minimum requirement. Bista said this tactic was used repeatedly to extract more money from victims, many of whom were foreign nationals seeking better economic opportunities. He and others continued to pay, hoping the trip would eventually happen, but no flight ever took off.
The case highlights growing concerns about fraud and exploitation targeting foreign nationals in Nigeria, especially those seeking to travel abroad for business or employment. It also raises serious questions about the role of public officials in such scams, particularly when their involvement lends an air of legitimacy to fraudulent operations. Authorities have not yet responded publicly to Bista’s claims, but the incident underscores the need for stronger oversight and accountability within law enforcement and immigration systems.
As investigations into the matter may unfold, this case serves as a warning to prospective travellers and investors about the risks of trusting unverified promises, especially when official institutions are falsely invoked to gain credibility.
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