Ooni Of Ife In Alleged N400 Million Fraud; Isaac Balami On The Run

By Jumu’ah Abiodun

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has been indicted in alleged over N400 million air tickets fraud, while Isaac Balami, Managing Director of 7Star Global went into hiding as police began interrogation of the multi-million naira fraud, worldtopnewsng.com exclusively report.

The Ooni is alleged to be the man behind the most dubious financial house in Nigeria, Olofin Microfinance Bank and Balami own the company in charge of the evacuation flight.

In July 2020, 7-Star Global and Olofin MFB were to lift over 200 travellers via Spanish carrier, WAMOS Air, with the aircraft A330-200, Pax 300, flight EB 96 to Toronto, Canada and Newark, New Jersey, United States but the proposed flight failed.

Recall, worldtopnewsng.com in series of reports had investigated how 7Star and Olofin MFB held Nigerians in limbo at the Lagos airport July 2020 during the global lockdown for a flight scheduled to depart Lagos on Sunday, July 26, 2020, via Abuja-Toronto-Newark with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Code: LOS-ABV-YYZ-EWR.

READ ALSO: Exclusive: Ooni Silent As Olofin Bank, 7Star Trade Blames Over Refunds

Meanwhile, 7Star and Olofin MFB had on September 12, 2020, in a communique signed and made available to worldtopnewsng.com apologised to the travellers for lack of communication and promised to commence payment of refunds to those affected.

Since the alleged fraud was perpetrated by the actors, they have been promising the passengers month after month for the refund of their hard-earned cash.

After months of over-promising and under-delivering, Olofin MFB MD/CEO, Mr Toyin Olufolahan, was arrested and detained over the fraud allegation by the police while Balami is still on the run after he appeared once at Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos.

One of the travellers who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity narrated her ordeal in the hands of the alleged culprits

“Let me tell you, Ooni or what did they call him and his co-culprits will know no peace until they refund our money,” the traveller said.

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“He (Ooni) can’t say he didn’t know about this fraud, they scammed people of almost N400 million and they have not paid back and he remains silent over it.”

“Very few people who are nothing came together to defraud Nigerian citizens of their hard-earned money and nobody is doing anything about it, am not surprised, Nigeria is home of crime where people get away with whatever crime they committed.”

“They didn’t just scam the travellers, they scam them at black market rates, this is uncalled for.”

“Since July 2020, they lied they would pay in August, they didn’t pay, September, October up to December nothing from them and now we are in March 2021.”

Former counsel to selected travellers, Kayode Oyemakinde, of The Alêxis Law Practice informed worldtopnewsng.com that 7 Star Global and Olofin MFB are frustrating his clients with the delay tactics they adopted. “Since last year, it’s either one excuse or the other, none of my former clients has received their money.”

In related development, worldtopnewsng.com stumbled on documents showing the breakdown of inflow into the ACC Aviation account, Olofin MFB guarantees support letter, list of individuals and companies who paid for the failed trip.

Worldtopnewsng.com could not reach Balami for comments as he did not pick his phone or reply messages.

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The Media aide to the Ooni, Olafare Moses, also did not respond to calls.