NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT DEFRAUDED A UK NURSE

Adenike Olakunle, the founder of The Forbes' Nurse, is a UK nurse, a public speaker, and a life coach whose interest is to help young and ambitious people to achieve their ever-increasing level of success and fulfillment in their life, career, finances, and overall wellbeing. She shared her ordeal with Adams Health Blog, an organized fraud by the Nigerian government. Below is the story ;

                                         Adenike Olakunle CEO The Fobes'Nurse

Two years ago, I made up my mind to leave Nigeria (my country) for so many reasons but one of them is poverty (due to the corruption of our supposed leader). On the day I was leaving Nigeria, I was robbed by angry, and poverty-driven young men with matchet (it was a narrow escape). But still, I was hoping Nigeria would be great and these would become the thing of the past. 

Many Nigerians in the diaspora are not willing to come back. The reason is simple: they no longer see any reason to come back. I always say I would come home visiting and one day I would really come back (I was really hopeful)  

I had a family function to attend to and I decided to visit home (Nigeria), the new travel rules required  

1. A negative covid test from where you are departing from  

2. Your genuine reason for traveling  

3. Booking a covid test to be done in Nigeria (you have to pay before leaving where you are coming from) 

I had a genuine reason; I had a negative covid result. And I decided to pay for my Nigeria covid test. 

World people, I made a successful payment a day before my scheduled flight to the Lagos State Biobank, into the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control bank account number (NCDC) and I received the payment receipt generated by the Flutter Wave, but the QR page still showed UNPAID. 

I initially thought I could proceed with the journey and it would be fine just showing them the receipt at the airport. I got to Heathrow airport, the airline said they would not allow me to board except the QR code is showing that I have paid. I showed them the receipt but they refused, their reason was that NCDC will fine/sue them if they allow anyone with an UNPAID QR code. 

I was shocked and angry but there was no other way than to make another payment. I immediately brought out my UK bank card, I made another payment to Lagos State Biobank. Right there and then, I was debited and I got another receipt of payment but the QR page still showed UNPAID. 

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At this time, the airline staff is already counting down to departure. With the fear of missing my flight, or having to pay to reschedule. I called a few friends and I asked someone to send me their card details (Guarantee Trust Bank), I used it to make another payment (with the hope that this one should be faster). That made it 3 payments to Lagos State Biobank into the account number of NCDC still it showed “UNPAID” 

The flight attendants told me, unfortunately, I could not board again as the plane is now closed and ready to fly. With tears and disappointment in my heart, I was calling everyone to help me but to no avail. I was given the option to reschedule to the following day or go to Abuja the same day at night. I chose Lagos for the following day with the hope that my QR close would have been changed to PAID. 

This coated me an additional £169 that I could give to my family to cater for some things. I packed myself to one corner strategize and I started refreshing the page. 

Lagos State Biobank and NCDC refused to acknowledge my 3 payments still. After long thought, I decided to do another application, this time I chose to do the covid test outside Lagos, it brought out the payment page, I paid again (4th time) and it went through. Immediately, I received a QR code that said “PAID”. I was relieved and I was sure I would travel the following day.  

I was happy and I thought, when I get to Lagos, I would go and get my refunds. At least, in a country that's working, you can always get a refund (I thought). Immediately I landed, I lodged a complaint at the Muritala Muhammad airport to the people checking the QR Codes, they gave me contacts of banks and NCDC and Lagos State Biobank to contact them for my refund. 

Immediately, I called Access Bank Nigeria to help me get my refund, they said the transaction was successful and it was not their fault that I didn't get a QR code. I rang Guarantee Trust Bank Nigeria they said the same thing. They said the merchant Lagos State Biobank is the one to refund me. 

I immediately started calling the number I was given. I tried to call the same number when I was at the airport. It was switched off (I thought because it was a weekend), but since the beginning of the week, midweek, and even end of the week, this number is still not going. 

At this point, I have been forced to believe that the Lagos State Biobank, NCDC, Babajide Sanwolu – Lagos State Governor, and the Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria have decided to defraud the citizens of their hard-earned  

I am not ready to let go of my 152,862 NGN just like that, I must get a refund. I can't work in the cold, on my feet, and packing shits just to be defrauded.