Enugu Businessman Loses ₦2m as TMT Travels and Tours Fails to Deliver Luxembourg Visa

Ifeanyichukwu Nwafor, a businessman from Enugu State, has narrated how he paid N2 million to TMT Travels and Tours Limited, a travel agency owned by Ifeanyi Onukwubiri in Owerri, and got no visa in return.

In an interview on Monday, Nwafor recounted how he was initially sceptical of TMT Travels and Tours but eventually became convinced to do business with them after some months of observation.

However, he said, his experience with TMT Travels and Tours since he paid N2 million in May has been extremely disappointing.

“I came across TMT Travels and Tours Limited about five years ago. I did not do business with them then, but I contacted them in January this year and told them I needed a Luxembourg work visa,” Nwafor said.

He continued, “The way Onukwubiri always spoke to me on the phone from the beginning made me think my dream of immigrating to Luxembourg would finally come true through them. I was really excited and even took a loan to pay for the visa fee.

“Initially, he said that the visa fee was N3 million, but he asked me to pay part of it, N2 million, with the remaining N1 million due after the visa was granted.

“Before I made the payment, we agreed to meet in his office in Owerri. However, upon my arrival, I was directed to a hotel.

“I met a lady there who claimed to be a staff member of TMT. She gave me a form to fill. Onukwubiri had earlier sent the same file to me in PDF form even before my arrival.

“After filling the form, the lady asked me to make part payment of the N2 million, but that raised scepticism. I told her I would not make any payment without seeing Onukwubiri.

“So, I wanted to stand and leave, but she called him through her own phone and handed it to me to speak with him.

“Via the phone call, he gave some excuses as to why people must pay before they could see him. I felt reluctantly convinced and just made the payment.

“An Uber driver then arrived and took us to his main office.

“In his office there, he told me that within three to four months, the visa would be ready, but he usually gives six months to avoid pressure from his clients.

“It was that day I paid N2 million. On May 7, TMT even issued a receipt to me immediately.”

MONTHS LATER, NO POSITIVE RESPONSE

Nwafor explained how months went by without getting any positive response from TMT.

“On June 23, I sent an email to him to know the current status of my Luxembourg work visa application. He said it was in progress,” Nwafor recalled.

“Well, he replied to my mail I sent on July 17, but nothing came out of the response. He just kept playing a trick on me.”

‘TMT TRAVELS AND TOURS LIMITED BLOCKED ME’ — NWAFOR

FIJ learnt from Nwafor that TMT blocked him Facebook after he kept asking about the progress of his visa processing, which they apparently considered too frequent and disturbing.

“Then, in the fourth month, because of frequent complaints and questions, I got blocked on their Facebook page. I could no longer see their posts, and anything related to them,” Nwafor said.

“This discovery deepened my suspicion. How can you even block someone you have ongoing transactions with?

“When I asked him (Onukwubiri)why he blocked me, he replied that being blocked meant I did something wrong to deserve it.

“That’s how he does it. If anyone complains, he blocks the person.”

“Then in the fifth month, I reminded him, but he got angry.”

In the sixth month, Nwafor reached out to Onukwubiri to ask about the visa.

“In the sixth month, I became worried and I asked for the current status of the visa, but he got angry and asked me to come down to his office to sign an agreement which I did not even understand its terms,” Nwafor said.

“This is exactly how he scams people. I know many people whom he collected their money without delivering the services they paid for, too.

“Please, I am no longer interested in the visa. I just want him to refund my money to me.

“I have lost a life because of this issue. My father-in-law was one of the signatories to the loan I took to pay for the visa application. So, when he heard that TMT blocked me when I asked for the money after they repeatedly failed to deliver, the news had adverse effects on his health and he could not survive it.

“Currently, things are tough for you financially because you are struggling to repay a loan with a high interest rate.

“I’m tired and weary. I just want a refund. Let TMT refund my money to me.”

On Monday, reporters called TMT Travels and Tours through their number which ends with 5529. A lady who answered the call claimed to be from the agency’s front desk office and said they do not usually communicate verbally.

“We do not typically communicate with people verbally, but I will relay your message to my boss,” she said and ended the call.