A Cameroonian businessman, Amadu Ngengougor, has accused a Nigerian travel company operator, an airline executive, and others of allegedly defrauding him of over N507 million and $161,000 in what he described as a fraudulent charter flight investment deal to Barbados.
Ngengougor alleged that Mr. Oshori Goodluck Alfred, promoter of Fredluck Mine Educational Tours Ltd, alongside senior officials linked to Azman Air and other collaborators, lured him into the scheme under the pretext of selling seats on an international charter flight from Abuja.
According to him, the deal began in late 2022 after he saw an online advertisement for an educational tour. He said he travelled to Abuja to verify the company’s authenticity and later met Alfred, who allegedly presented documents suggesting arrangements for a charter flight.
He explained that he initially paid $1,000 before committing further funds after being promised discounted seat packages and bonus allocations. Ngengougor said he later transferred large sums in naira after being advised to change payment currency, eventually funding what he believed were about 200 seats, alongside investors he brought in.
He further claimed that assurances from individuals he believed were law enforcement officers and airline representatives, including a visit to a police facility in Abuja and meetings with Azman Air officials in Kano, convinced him of the legitimacy of the arrangement.
Despite repeated postponements of the flight schedule, which was initially set for December 29, 2022, the trip never took place. Ngengougor said the departure date was shifted several times, while he incurred additional expenses accommodating passengers who had already arrived in Abuja.
He alleged that when he reported the matter to authorities, he faced intimidation and was falsely accused of unrelated offences, including human trafficking. He also claimed that although arrests were made at different stages and some funds were partially recovered, interference from officials disrupted investigations.
Ngengougor stated that petitions were submitted to the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but that meaningful justice had not been achieved. He added that he has only recovered a small fraction of the total amount allegedly lost.
He further alleged that one of the suspects made statements discouraging him from pursuing the case, insisting that nothing would come of it.
In response, Azman Air’s Managing Director, Faisal Abdulmunaf, said the airline does not deal directly with passengers in such arrangements and insisted that any dispute should be directed to the individual intermediary involved. He stated that the company had taken legal action over related issues and denied direct responsibility for the alleged fraud.
The allegations remain unproven, and other accused parties did not provide detailed responses to the claims at the time of reporting.
Ngengougor is now calling on Nigerian authorities, including the police and the EFCC, to fully investigate the matter and ensure accountability.
