A Nepalese national, identified simply as Bista, has disclosed how some officers at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja played a role in a fraudulent scheme that cost him about N1.6 billion.

Bista made the allegation in an interview with social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, or VDM.

He narrated how he and dozens of other foreign nationals were allegedly deceived with promises of relocating from Nigeria to Suriname for business.

He added that the scheme was orchestrated by a Cameroonian, Emmanuel Masa, resident in Nigeria.

According to him, Masa claimed to have secured a partnership involving Azman Airlines and another firm to facilitate visas, travel documents and chartered flights to the South American country.

The Nepalese citizen further noted that he first travelled to Abuja from Gambia in 2023 with six associates after being assured the arrangement was genuine.

Bista claimed that his confidence in the scheme increased after he was taken to the Force Headquarters, where, according to him, police officers attended a meeting with prospective travellers.

“One of the officers openly vouched for Masa, assuring those present that the arrangement was legitimate.

“After the involvement of the police, we had nothing to worry about. I subsequently paid an initial $20,000 for the trip after Masa promised the flight would depart within two weeks.

“When the departure failed to materialise, Masa blamed the delay on an insufficient number of passengers and persuaded us to recruit more people,” he said.

At least one person is feared trapped after a two-storey building under construction collapsed on Sultan Road in Kano metropolis at about 9 am on Friday.

Three people had been rescued from the rubble as of the time of filing this report, while rescue workers continued efforts to reach a fourth victim believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Eyewitnesses said construction workers noticed signs that the building was about to collapse while they were working on the upper floor, prompting them to flee the site.

However, four people, including a security guard and a commercial tricycle (Keke Napep) driver, were reportedly trapped when the structure gave way.

One of the construction workers, Shu’aibu Yaro, confirmed the incident. 

“The engineer noticed signs that the building was about to collapse, so the workers immediately ran for safety,” Yaro said.

He added that three victims, including the security guard and one of his friends, were rescued and taken to Sir Muhammadu Sanusi Specialist Hospital in Kano for treatment after sustaining injuries.

Rescue officials were still searching for the fourth victim trapped beneath the rubble.

Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to release Professor Bello Abubakar, personal physician to the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

MURIC made this demand on Friday in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.  

DAILY POST reports that ICPC on Wednesday arrested Abubakar over alleged false statements.

But reacting, MURIC described the arrest as unjust.

While calling for the immediate release of the physician, Akintola maintained that medical personnel are respected everywhere in the world.

He said that the doctor might be compelled to compromise to release information about his patient against the rules of his profession.

Akintola insisted that the doctor committed no offence to warrant his arrest by the ICPC.

‎”We condemn this arrest. It is arbitrary, alien to global best practices and absolutely uncalled for. This arrest stands in contradistinction to democratic principles. We therefore demand the unconditional release of the doctor with immediate effect.

‎”Anything goes in detention, particularly this type of detention. The doctor might be compelled to compromise, to release information about his patient against the rules of his profession,” the statement said.