Charles
In 2010, as the global economic recession bit harder, many investors and entrepreneurs in Nigeria began to devise new and safer avenues of making money. The Chief Executive Officer of Jocarol Nigeria Limited, Maximus Obumneme Umeokafor, decided to go into commodity export trading and he made a success of the new business. Buoyed by the success story of Maximus and a seminar organized by the firm in July 2012 on investing in non-oil sector, where secrets of making money with ease from export trading were unveiled, Mr. Akintobi Charles got interested in exporting business and registered with Jocarol for training, mentorship and partnership. After paying the initial N130,000 for the seminar and another N250,000 for sourcing 10 containers of charcoal for export, introduction to the suppliers, freight forwarders and inspector agent needed for the contract, his first transaction of N750,000 worth of charcoal exported to Germany was a huge success for a first try. “As a result, I got more funds and use all I had left for the second transaction. “I paid N1 million into Jocarol’s Zenith Bank account and was linked to one Mr. Moshood Alaga. Mr. Umeokafor assured me that soon I would smile. I waited for a long period of time only to find out that Moshood was nowhere to be found. “I reported to the police when other people that were duped got Moshood arrested, but after a few days, he was released on bail and the police asked us to settle our case with Jocarol. On August 16, 2015, I made a formal complaint at the Federal Public Complaint Commission, and one Mrs. Okonkwo Ijeoma handled my case but as soon as Mr. Obumneme showed up, the case was bungled and not pursued anymore,” he narrated. When The Guardian contacted Umeokafor, he stated he was not obliged to respond to any media or journalist, as the case was already being handled by relevant agencies. “If there is any breach of contract, it is up to him to prove it. He can go ahead if he wants to publish it in all the newspapers, he is free to do so,” he stated. However, efforts to reach Mrs. Okonkwo, who is in charge of the case have been unsuccessful.Guardian