Akin Smith (pseudonym), a Nigerian resident in the United Kingdom, has told FIJ he still wants the £9,000 Benjamin Kuti, popularly known as Oluomo of Derby, took from him in August 2024 for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) deal that fell through.
Smith’s request is coming 24 hours after Olowu, a Nigerian doctor, accused similarly Kuti of refusing to refund £7,000 of the £10,000 he had been owing him since August 2024 from a similar deal.
The CoS deal between Smith and Kuti began on December 13 on X. He told Kuti that he needed a job that could offer him a CoS.
READ ALSO: Oluomo of Derby Owes Nigerian Vet £7,000 Refund 17 Months After Failed CoS Deal
“Since he was the president of Nigerians staying in the UK and he has influence and a name, I was 100 per cent sure to get my CoS because I was buying trust,” Smith said on Thursday.
Smith told FIJ that he agreed to pay £9,000 for the CoS in two batches.
One of the receipts of the £9,000 Smith sent to Kuti
Afterwards, Kuti promised Smith that the company to issue the CoS requested to conduct an interview with him, a condition quickly acceeded to.
The week that followed, when the interview was not forthcoming, Smith began to ask questions.
“He was saying I should relax,” he told FIJ. “Kuti repeated this for the next two consecutive weeks after I completed the £9, 000.”
Kuti further excused the delay with the December holidays. He then pleaded further that Smith patiently wait until January.
On January 3, Smith contacted Kuti again about the interview.
“On a second thought, I asked him what the essence of the interview was. I am paying to get the job, why are you doing interview for me?
“So if I fail the interview, are you going to refund my money? So I told him there was no need for an interview, he should try and get the CoS across to me.”
The two consecutive weeks that followed, Kuti continued to evade Smith.
“Whenever you call him; let’s say you call him in the morning, the next thing he would do is to push it to the evening, or he might tell you “please wait till the weekend”. So, he finds a way to push it forward,” Smith said.
“So, when you call him during the weekend, he would not even answer your call. It has been going on like that. So, I’ve told him to refund my money.”
After requesting a refund, Kuti told Smith that he had contacted the owner of the company that was to issue the CoS.
Smith told FIJ that he requested to know the name and the address of the company, but Kuti has stalled on this too and never gave a response.
Smith added that because his visa would expire in June 2025, he reported the case to the police.
“I really need that £9,000,” Smith stressed.
Because Kuti is an influential personality on X, Smith said he reported the case to other popular figures on the microblogging app.
READ ALSO: After FIJ’s Story, Oluomo of Derby Refunds Nigerian Vet’s £7,000
“I have spoken to Akin Tollgate, who is his friend. Akin has spoken to him; no response. I have spoken to FS Yusuf. In fact, FS was so mad. He said I should do whatever I want to do because Kuti seemed so unserious.
“Up till now, I have not collected a dime from that refund. My £9,000 is still with Oluomo of Derby. And he’s not making any plans to refund me. Just the way you helped in getting that man’s balance of £9,000, if you can help me, I would appreciate.”
When FIJ contacted Kuti, he said he had spoken with the company on Thursday.
“I just spoke to the company this afternoon, to let them know it’s a matter of urgency to have it rectified,” he said.
“They’ve been holding the file for him, and then he suddenly pulled out, saying he wanted a refund. Now, what I’ve been told is that they want to get somebody else whom they can replace him with. So, I told them that was practically impossible from my end.
“So, what the company said to me was that he was going to get all his money before the end of March.”
When FIJ relayed this information to Smith, he said Kuti had made the same promise in January but did not fulfill it.
The post Another Nigerian Wants £9,000 Back from ‘Oluomo of Derby’ Over Failed CoS Deal appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.