Lazarus Obioma, a Nigerian residing in Liberia, has narrated how he lost N33.5 million to two investment deals he had with Barimike Logistics and Nne Isaac Trading, both Nigerian-based companies.

Obioma, who is currently stranded and without a job in Liberia, told FIJ that he invested N5 million with Craig Barisuka, the owner of Barimike Logistics, a Lagos-based company, and N30 million with Anita Christian Ijeoma, the owner of Nne Isaac Trading, a Rivers State-based company, in 2021.

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From the investment he had with Barimike Logistics, Obioma said he was supposed to be paid a Return On Investment (ROI) of N3 million, while the business deal he had with Nne Isaac was supposed to fetch him a N3.1 profit.

In the end, the Liberia-based Nigerian investor was only able to recover a N1.5 million payment from Barisuka. He is yet to receive a dime from Ijeoma.

‘I AM STRANDED, UNABLE TO PAY MY CHILD’S HOSPITAL BILLS’

“My support for Nigerian business owners has rendered me useless. I am here suffering and without a job in Liberia,” Obioma told FIJ.

“Right now, I am stranded and unable to pay my child’s hospital bills. This is because both investment deals have rendered me penniless and I have no money to pay the bills.

“I even would have loved to return to Nigeria as well, but I don’t have the financial means to travel.”

Obioma added that when he invested in the two businesses last year, his ultimate plan was to return to Nigeria after getting back his capital and interests and set up a business.

“Unfortunately, Craig Barisuka and Anita Christian Ijeoma have dashed my hopes against the cold wall of loss and disappointment,” Obioma said.

N1.5 MILLION OUT OF N5 MILLION

In his agreement with Barimike Logistics, Obioma’s ROI was meant to be spread across four payment periods, in which he would receive N750,000 every quarter, and within a time frame of one year.

However, after Barimike paid N1.5 million to him in September, he went silent on the remaining agreed sum to the investor.

“Three months after I invested on June 5, 2021, he paid the first N750,000 in September. Then he made the second payment in December. After that, I did not hear from him again.

“He later told me he would not be able to pay the RoI but he assured me that he would refund my capital. However, since the investment expired this year on June 5, he has not refunded a dime. He even shut down the online platform where I registered.”

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‘SHE HAS DISAPPEARED’

After Obioma had invested in forex, agriculture and palm oil trading in the second business deal he had with Ijeoma, the latter would become inaccessible after reneging repeatedly on the repayment agreement she had with the investor.

According to Obioma, Ijeoma was supposed to pay a 25 per cent ROI in four tranches, and within a year.

“Both my capital and profit have not been paid. She came up with a lie that those she supplied palm oil were owing her,” Obioma said.

“She is nowhere to be found. She has disappeared after raising my hopes by sending me the payment plan. Altogether, both Barisuka and Ijeoma are still with my N33.5 million.”

FIJ made several phone calls to both Craig Barisuka and Anita Christian Ijeoma for comments, but their phone lines were unreachable. The text messages sent to them had also not been responded to at press time.

However, when FIJ was able to get Francis Chukwuma, the lawyer who drafted the investment contract between Obioma and Nne Isaac Limited, to speak on the matter, he said “he had lost contact with Ijeoma”.

“My relationship with her (Ijeoma) was purely professional. All I did was to prepare the contract for her company. I lost contact with her around April/May, and I know nothing about her whereabouts.”