Another scam by clever Africans
When I first read in the Nation that there was a chartered flights of Africans landed in BIM, I mentioned it to my Nigerian friend, who is a solicitor here in Ontario. He smiled and said that his pastor's cousin was on that journey. He was one of the Ghanian with the group. So, when I learnt that the plane had not returned to pick them up, I mentioned it to him again. He said, "Yes, I know! It was never intended to return". He also said that, the Africans intentions were to find work in Barbados and, once they were granted a work permit in Barbados, it would then make immigration to Canada and the USA easier for Immigration Lawyers in USA & Canada to negotiate on their behalf. Canada and the USA were their ultimate destination. It was all a hoax.

This was all told to me prior to the news that the plane would not return. You can imagine my dismay when I learnt this to be true. Shock!!



BEWARE THIS MAY HAPPEN TO YOU??

THE TREATMENT FOR BLACK TOURIST COMING TO BARBADOS - INCARCERATION FOR AFRICAN PEOPLE. SUN, SEA, SAND, LEISURE AND PLEASURE FOR WHITES ONLY

02/05/2008


NAME: Osa Agbon Itota
NATIONALITY: Nigerian
SEX: Female
AGE: 32
ADDRESS: #30 Uwa Street
New Benin,
Benin City, off New Lagos Road
Edo State, Nigeria
EMAIL: itotaosa@yahoo.com
TELEPHONE:+234-052-250413
MOBILE: +234-80-23521045


MY ORDEAL IN BARBADOS

I am a businesswoman who deals with clothes, shoes, bags and jewelry. In the course of my business, I have been to Switzerland, Holland and several African countries.

On January 20th, 2008, I read about the direct Inaugural flight from Accra (Ghana) to Barbados in a daily newspaper publication, "The Guardian and the Punch", in Lagos, Nigeria.

Consequently, I flew from Lagos, (Nigeria) to Accra (Ghana) to purchase the ticket. ($2,000. U.S.) in order to explore the numerous business opportunities as well as vacation in the Caribbean. This was a round trip ticket.

Thus, on the 31st of January 2008, I left Accra (Ghana) on board Ghana Air Internationa1 with about 148 other passengers, comprising mostly Ghanaians and about 30 Nigerians.

It was a 9 (nine) hour flight and we arrived in Barbados at exactly 3:45a.m. on the 1st of February 2008. We spent a few hours at the airport due to some initial hotel reservation matters before we were eventually cleared by the Barbados Immigration.

We each were given 15 days entry. I and a group of others checked into "Kingsland Palace" Guest House at St. Patrick, Christ Church. I spent one week at the hotel, paying $20 U.S. daily.

At this point, however, we were already getting conflicting statements from our tour agent in Ghana, Seasons Travels and Tours, about the probable date of our departure from Barbados. Our inquiries confirmed that the return flight might be delayed a little due to circumstances beyond their control.

Then I made a call to my brother in Canada, telling him about the situation. He made an arrangement for me to come over to Canada and spend some time with him and his immediate family, because he has been away for a long time and he wanted to use this opportunity as a re-union between his immediate family and myself. He then sent an electronic e-ticket dated 6th to the 14th of February 2008.

This decision was based on the fact that I already had a Canadian visa in my passport. Unfortunately, when I got to Air Canada desk at the Grantley Adams International Airport on the 6th of February 2008, the lady on duty asked me about my nationality and I told her I was a Nigerian. She then asked me to wait and I waited for almost 30 minutes. Thereafter she asked me the following questions:

1. Whom are you going to see in Canada?
2. What is his name?
Where does he stay in Canada?
What is his phone number?
What does he do for a living?

I provided accurate answers to the above questions.

Then she went inside again and later came with an Immigration Officer. This time around my passport was seized by the Immigration Officer who ordered me to follow him and I obeyed. I was then taken to an interrogation office where I was stripped searched. The officer eventually told me that I can not travel because my Canadian visa was faked. I argued based on the fact that I had other visas in my passport, that I got through the same medium, but the Immigration Officer paid deaf ears.

Then they locked me up at the airport detention facility (a windowless cell of about 6 by 8 feet) for 2 ½ months. In one of the nights, the fire alarm went-off and we shouted and banged on the door for help but nobody came to our rescue! I was not allowed phone calls for a month and a half. I was also denied medical facility during this period of incarceration. When I was eventually allowed to make a phone call, I called my elder brother in Canada, who in turn spoke with the Immigration Officer who was on duty asking him to release me. The Immigration Officer refused saying I had breached the Barbados Immigration Law and I must be kept in confinement until orders are given by a higher authority.

My elder brother made a contact with a lawyer to come all the way from Canada to bail me out. The lawyer was not allowed to see or talk to me. My brother also pleaded that he wanted to pay my ticket to return to Nigeria. They also refused his request. They said that we came in a group and therefore we must leave in a group.

During this period of incarceration I was subjected to inhuman treatment; especially when they were giving me food. They presented it to me, as if they were giving it to an animal. Oftentimes, I had to buy my own toiletries and during my menstrual period they refuse to give me any sanitary pads they told me that I should rather make-do with "tissue paper!". I was tormented and traumatised daily because I could not sleep until the early hours of the morning (3:00 or 3:30am) ; hence I did not know whom to trust. I had to be very, very alert. I did my laundry in the same confined room so that I would not smell. The only time I did not do my laundry in the sink of this confined room was when a kind Immigration lady took my laundry home and do it for me.

All this frustrated my brother because he did not know what to do any more about my situation. Since this whole issue was suppose to be a 2 week holiday that has turned into an unpredictable nightmare. Given the fact that I left behind at home a 16 months old baby and a 3 year old son and my husband. During this period of incarceration my business has suffered tremendously and I have lots of outstanding bills waiting for me back at home.

My extended family has been very worried about my health and welfare and have made frantic efforts to contact me to no avail. On the 8th of April 2008, the Chief Immigration Officer directed everyone to assemble at the Immigration Office in Bridgetown for a briefing. They all went, only to be arrested and taken to Paragon Military Base in Christ Church, after collecting their passports from them.

It was after this incident that they came for me at the airport detention on the 11th of April, 2008. They took me for medicals and after that the Chief Security Officer "Mr. Jordan" said I had to go back to the airport cell because they do not have facilities for females yet at Paragon. Then I cried my eyes out, pleading with him to allow me to stay with some church members. He refused and sent me back to the airport cell.

Then on the 17th of April, 2008, they came for me again, and the said Mr. Jordon took me to the Chief Immigration Officer who ordered him to release me. It was at this juncture, that I met with a kindhearted Barbadian (Mr. John Howell) who volunteered to take me to his home.

However, on the 21st of April 2008, the Immigration Authority asked all the ladies in the group to report to their Bridgetown office, from where they took us to join our male compatriots at the Paragon Military Base, where we are currently being housed as at the time of this writing.