Clients assault firm’s employees, vandalise offices

Angry clients of Oxford International Group have assaulted senior executives of the firm, inflicting injuries, vandalising vehicles, properties, and residential homes over a refund of money invested in the business.

The aggrieved clients attacked the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Goodluck Precious, on his way back from cross-over service with his family in Ogun State on January 1, 2023, a report by The Guardian says.

The Group Head, Corporate Communications, OIG, Benjamin Sarumi, said the Chief Executive Officer was shot at, dragged out of his car, and beaten to a pulp, with injuries inflicted on his body.

The CEO’s vehicle was also reportedly vandalised.

Senior executives of the company were hospitalised with injuries inflicted on their bodies, according to The Guardian.

The angry clients and policemen reportedly invaded and destroyed official properties and residential homes of the company’s employees in pursuit of funds invested.

According to reports, the Securities and Exchange Commission had last year sealed some of the company’s offices for allegedly conducting investment-related business without regulatory approval.

The news triggered a panic among clients who in reaction requested refund of their money invested in the company’s chain of businesses, The Guardian says.

The Guardian quoted one of the clients, Onuorah Nkiru, as saying, “I received a mail that I should exercise patient for time extension and I replied them, since then they have not replied the mail I sent. This lack of communication is what is causing the problem. They send message and when we reply they don’t get across again, so it is putting fear in us. This is why some clients are being violent.

“I am patiently waiting for January 22 when my investment will be due to know if they will pay and if they don’t, I will take action,” she said.

Another client, Martins Ifeabunike, said his first investment was successful; hence, he made another investment and referred his sisters to also invest.

“This second time, I invested for 16 months same with my sisters. My investment is supposed to be due January 17, 2023 and it is about N8 million. My greatest anger is that the marketer that told me about the investment, whenever I send her message or call her, she doesn’t reply or pick my calls. What she does is to refer me to another person and the same thing is what I face.

“My own is that they are not giving me any information. If they communicate with us, then our mind will be at peace and we will know what is happening and not take laws into our hands.

“At a point I got worried. What I plan on doing is that when I return to Nigeria from United Arab Emirates, things will not be funny,” he said.

Reacting, the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the company reportedly owed people some money, who reported to different police stations, areas and state commands across the country, according to The Guardian.

The PPRO added that the policemen that allegedly invaded the company’s premises were from the Force CID and not the state or area commands.

-punch news