MUMBAI: A city-based businessman lost Rs 7 lakh to a Nigerian fraud in an African nation, where he was called for a business deal but came away unscathed with the help of a Pakistani national.
The latter guided him to an Indian community office and the local police who saved his life. Several other traders had been murdered by the same Nigerian gang, local cops told P Chandra Sekaran. Sekaran has now penned a script to make a documentary on the Nigerian scam.
Sekaran started an export business in 2007. He got an email from an organization, Shepherd Aid Network, purportedly working for the war-affected people of Benin, a country neighbouring Nigeria.
Sekaran went to Berlin at the invitation of the organisation's director, John Ndaba, to complete legal formalities for the business. Sekaran was received at the airport by a Nigerian representative.
The following day, he was taken to a seven-storeyed building where the organization had an office. Sekaran was asked to deposit Rs 7 lakh with the finance department of the company. Ndaba promised to take him on a tour of their rehabilitation centre. But his calls to Ndaba, the next two days, went unanswered.
The third day, he managed to reach the organization's office alone but was turned away. He then started to inquire about the organisation but locals understood only French.
His four hours of effort ended when a man introduced himself as a Pakistani. Abdulla guided Sekaran to the community office in Beni, where he narrated his story to community officer Manglani Gobind who contacted the police. Sekaran then received a call from Ndaba, asking him to take back his money.
Gobind and Sekaran along with a team of policemen raided the organisation's office. The police then provided armed protection to Sekaran for three days till he flew back to India.
"I am lucky I survived. I approached the president and senior ministers to make a documentary on my script,'' said Sekaran.
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