Unveiled: Another Victim Of Globacom’s Win A Trip To Dubai Fraudulent Promo

*“I Had To Sell My Deep Freezer To Procure International Passport …”

*Folashade Adediran Omoemi Laments

As the series on Telecommunications Services Provider, Globacom’s "Win A Trip To Dubai" Fraudulent Promotion conducted in September, 2011, continues on this blog, we present to you the second out of four established victims of the monumental sleaze perpetrated by a Nigerian owned company against fellow Nigerians. The story of Folashade Adediran Omoemi who is based in Oshogbo, Osun state, is a little more disturbing than that of Lasisi Alliu Olasunkanmi that you read in the first episode of this journalistic soap opera. According to Folashade in an exclusive interview with this blogger, when Globacom first made their “useless” phone call to her with their customized 121 phone number, she initially wanted to disregard the “unsolicited” information given to her by the caller that she had won an all expense paid trip to Dubai, as a prank from the ubiquitous fraudsters that are currently dominating the Nigerian landscape (how right she was after all!). But after she was duly convinced by her caller that he was genuinely calling from Globacom, she believed him.

And that was when her “ordeal” began. Since she was told she needed an International passport to process her winnings, which she did not have at that point in time, she had to sell the deep freeze with which she was doing petty trading of soft-drinks in her small shop in Oshogbo to procure an "express" (fast-tracked) International passport before she could travel down to Lagos for the proccessing of her travelling to Dubai through Glo. But alas, it turned out to be a fraud that she initially suspected. As a matter of fact, she had to travel twice risking her life on the accident-prone Nigerian roads. The first time was to Lagos and the second time was to Ibadan as directed by the Glo official relating with her, Mr. Wole Bankole. An enquiry at the Glo office by this blogger has revealed that Mr. Bankole is still working with Glo.

Meanwhile, after she had been deceived into letting her picture be used in some national dailies by Glo, like many other victims of the grand fraud, through the presentation of dummy flight tickets to them, communication was deliberately cut off with her by Mr. Bankole like he did in the case of Lasisi Alliu Olasunkanmi you read earlier on this blog. Of more disturbing proportion is the finding at Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)’s Lagos Zonal office few days back that cases like that emanating from one promo or the other abound against Glo. And that none like that has been brought against other telephone networks in the country. No wonder Folashade had to abandon the Glo line she was using after the frustration she got from them, for two years and still counting, in the course of processing her winnings. Is Glo really "unlimited" like their new advertising slogan states? Someone needs to provide answers fast.

Watch out for other victims of the Globacom’s Fraud Unlimited Promo stories in these series. It promises to be a soap opera of sort…

Update on Globacom’s Fraudulent Promo Story:

*NCC, NLRC Wade In For The Victims

*How Another Victim Got #5OOK  Compensation

Just like it was promised on this blog that the fraud that is fraught with the Globacom’s “Win A Trip To Dubai” promo conducted in September, 2011, in which 4 established winners in the promo were left without being granted deliverables from their winnings 2 years after, would be followed to its logical conclusion, further steps have been taken by this blogger in fulfilling that promise.

About 2 weeks ago, this blogger together with a friend who is the Publisher of Islanders International Magazine, Ola Mohammed, paid a visit to the Lagos Zonal Office of the Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) where they met with the Zonal Controller, Mr. N. Nwadike. And in the course of their discussion over the “shameful act”, the two journalists were made to realize that cases like that abound against Globacom. Even, with some emanating from the same promo conducted in 2011 for which 4 of its victims were being made a case for by the 2 journalists. An example of a young boy who won in the 3^rd category of the same promo and was supposed to have gone to London to watch a Manchester United match was cited. And the Zonal Director reflected on how he had to drive the victim to Globacom’s office a number of times during which he gave the officials of the company they met with, a serious dress down.

He narrated how the Nigerian Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) had to be drafted into the matter at a point in time. “The NCC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NLRC that empowers the NLRC to take charge of matters emanating from lottery issues involving any telecommunication company.” The Zonal Controller clearly declared. And that was why the NLRC had to be drafted into the matter of the boy that won an all expenses paid trip to watch Manchester United in London but was eventually left in the lurch by Globacom. However, as at the morning of the day the 2 journalists paid a visit to the NCC’s Zonal Office, the Zonal Controller who said he had just returned from a trip abroad put a call across to their Abuja Headquarters to get an update on the matter of the boy being handled by them in conjunction with the NLRC and he was told that the boy had eventually been awarded a sum of five hundred thousand naira (#500,000.000) by Globacom in liu of his failed trip. 

The phone numbers of the NLRC officials who handled the matter were later released to the journalists to relate with them. And when the numbers (none of the numbers was glo) were called, the journalist were told to write an official letter to the Director of NLRC on behalf of the victims stating their cases and copies of their evidence should be attached to the letter. And that is being done already.

This blogger would keep you posted as events on the matter continue to unfold. It’s no retreat no surrender.