When Grace Bala, a freelancer in Abuja, paid N1.5 million to Mike Brainz Uzua, a self-proclaimed travel agent, in 2019, she hoped to testify to how green the grass was overseas.

The same travel agent stole Bala’s dream from her and has continued to withhold her funds.

Bala told EQ that Uzua, who she described as a clergyman, assured her that he would make a refund if things went awry but he disappeared when the worst came to the worst.

She said that she met Uzua in July 2019 at her former workplace and he did not hesitate to inform her that he could help anyone with funds willing to relocate to Canada. Bala stated that Uzua spoke confidently about his success rate as a Canadian relocation agent because he had a “sure link”.

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“He told me it would cost N1.5 million plus a flight ticket and that it would cover my accommodation and feeding. It took me time to get convinced, but he persuaded me. After a while, I paid him N500.000. This was my first payment,” Bala told EQ on Thursday.

Bala’s first transfer to Uzua

The freelancer said that she paid then she met him at the church where he had an office to give him other details which he used in the application process. By December 2019, she had done her biometrics. She said she thought things would turn out well.

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Bala said she paid N250,000 to Uzua for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in January 2020. When it came out, she said Uzua sent it to her via email, saying it was her employment letter.

According to Bala, Uzua told her that she was to resume the new job he got her in Canada but that was dependent on her paying up the remaining N750,000, which his “sure link” had begun to request.

Another payment from the source to Uzua

“I paid the balance but heard nothing until the lockdown started and ended. When it ended, he said the company to employ me said the employment was no longer there. Since then, he’s been giving me the runaround,” she said.

“I gave him a client who paid the first fee. She refused to pay the second fee until things worked out, but it didn’t. Nothing came out, and I was almost arrested by the police because she felt like I was working with him. I told him to explain to her, but he didn’t. He then deactivated his line and left it active on WhatsApp alone.

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“Since 2020, it’s been stories upon stories. Whenever I chatted with him, he’d say something like he forgot to chat with me. Now, I don’t know where he lives, as he moved from Lugbe, but I am sure he is in Abuja. I went to the church where I met him, but they said he’s left the church.”

When EQ texted Uzua on WhatsApp, he admitted that he had not repaid Bala since 2020 but claimed that he lost her contact details.

He said, “Yes, this is true. But it’s not all my fault. The immigration lawyer in Canada ran away with the money. But I promised to pay her back. I lost her contact, so we have not been in touch. Can you please give me her number?”

Bala said the last time she contacted Uzua was on May 7, and he appeared to be mocking her.

Bala disputed Uzua’s claim of losing her contact details. She said the last time she contacted him was on May 7, and he appeared to be mocking her.
The post Mike Uzua With ‘Sure Link’ Denies Abuja Freelancer Her 2019 Canada Trip, N1.5m Refund appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.