Disclaimers: Any later pasted here is for the purpose for reading with the inpbuilt translator tools provided by the website.
Season greetings and blessed Ramadan.
I write to you in good faith but in pain due to a recent unexpected misconception that has negatively hurt me.
Forgive me in advance if this communication process is wrong or disrespectful to your personality. I decided to reach out to you due to the gravity of the pain in my heart.
My close friend/relative, Mr Jude Inah, recently got detained at the Follow-up Section for violators in Abu Dhabi because of my advice and assurance. I encouraged him that the government is not what people might think of it on the outside and that the government will investigate and hear him out. He went there, and I did not hear from him again. I could only retrieve his phone from the kind driver who took him there.
I picked up the courage to visit to find out what could have transpired and how we could fix it. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to explain. Rather, I was warned never to return, or I would also be arrested. I am pained because I encouraged him to go there in good faith.
Mr Jude had bought his ticket with the mindset of giving up on his business goal, offers, and prospects and taking the UAE Exit Permit due to the visa agent’s insincerity. The agent applied for the absconding removal after Mr Jude had already bought his flight ticket. Sadly, I encouraged him to respond to the Follow-up Section for violators by visiting the stated place in Abu Dhabi before his travel flight schedule, due on the 15th of March. Now, I am sure he is in a dilemma in that jail.
Mr Jude previously had two Emirates IDs. The last expired in 2022, and he had no choice but to switch to a visa extension due to the conflict within his company management, which later split. After the settlement, one of the managers reached out to him to resume work with him, promising they would do the necessities using their new company name. The company claimed they had also attempted to apply for his residence but were always unsuccessful.
Mr Jude is very patient and peace-making. He has been working with them to sustain himself while believing that visa restrictions for Nigerian nationality might be reviewed within one year. If not, he will exit the country.
Mr Jude is a talented interior designer. In November 2023, I introduced some of his designs to a client, who was impressed and interested in working with him. After asking about his visa status, Mr Jude was encouraged to request from the visa agent who had made his last visa to apply for absconding removal.
Mr Jude acted as advised, contacted the agent, and paid the AED4000 charge for the removal in November 2023. Unfortunately, after many inquiries, he discovered the request was delayed due to an internal conflict between the agent and the tourist company that did the visa.
In January, Mr Jude shared his sad concerns with me, saying he should take the UAE’s Exit Permit and leave the country because of the situation. I encouraged him that my client could help him remove other aspects of his residence concerns in Abu Dhabi if only the visa agents could comply. I also suggested that he get a sole establishment license since he has gotten good experience during his stay in UAE, and my client can even become the local sponsor in his business license. As a well-trusted project manager, I already had other top investors interested in partnering with him.
I encouraged him to return to the visa agent or tourist company and discuss the situation at a conference with a resolution in mind. At some point in the discussion, the tourist company admitted holding the money at ransom due to an unrelated conflict with the agent. Then also threatened that Mr Jude would be unable to report the case to the government or police because of his status.
That statement broke me, and I decided to voice it out. I told the speaker, “Permit me, I need to record this conversation
- You held a fund due to an unrelated matter with a client
- You are still threatening this client due to his status. Are you that cruel?
I added that Mr Jude might not have an ID, but he is connected to friends with legal rights in this country who will react to the statement.
After that scenario, my brother got discouraged and bought his flight ticket with the mindset of travelling via the UAE’s Exit Permit. After he had made this decision, we received a response from the agent stating that my brother had been requested to visit the Follow-up Section violators in Abu Dhabi.
I convinced him to trust the government’s judgement because he is not bad. If not for the restriction, he would be an added value to the UAE economy and have his own business running.
Right now, I don’t know what to do to myself. I feel like I misled him into believing what I thought was the right thing to do. I call him brother at some point, most of the time because he has always acted as an elder brother to me and still upholds my advice.
My prayer right now is divine healing from guilt for persuading him against his wish, which has made him be treated like a commoner and has slept in jail for more than a night. May God have mercy on me. I never knew I was wrong.
I have loved the UAE government since the first day I arrived. Every legal process I acquired was with a vision to contribute to being a trusted solutionist for upcoming businesses and enlighten others on the right path based on my journey.
But my experience lately is tearing me apart. This is why I decided to share my concerns with any internal suggestions and complaints platforms of the UAE.
The following are my brother’s sincere initial vision here in UAE before he was discouraged by the visa agent:
- To review his visa status, appeal for a fine deduction, and apply for his license before exiting.
- If the fine is affordable, pay the fine, then get a business license and exit for his marriage to enable him to return if the visa process is ready as an investor.
- To avoid leaving the country with a ban due to his good intentions in the country.
I advised him to respond to the request because I felt it might be an offence not to respond or ignore the Follow-up Section violators in Abu Dhabi.
My brother is forfeiting these opportunities and prospects to make things right:
- Opportunity to establish his business in UAE.
- If the fine deduction is not approved or is beyond his budget, he will drop his ready-intended partners due to the block given punishment attached to UAE’s Exit Permit.
I do not intend to make this public. I just want the UAE government to know that many people are victimised for wanting to make things right.
I acknowledge that the government has all the right to exercise its judgment on him for not exiting the country sooner than now. I am sincerely appealing for the government to hear him out and not keep him for so long. If there is no mercy for him, kindly allow him to travel on his travel flight ticket which has already been scheduled for the 15th of March.
Peace be unto you.
Best regards
Deborah Ogechi Durunwa
EID: 784-1984-8847535-3
My friend/relation Details:
Full Name: Jude Chukwudi Inah
Unified number: 56641364
Previous Emirate ID: 784-1971-9259262-0
Passport Number: A126095394
Passport Expiring Date: 02, AUG 2027