On Saturday 28th January 2023, I got a call from Seyfo Soley via WhatsApp. He sounded down, desperate, and worried. I asked him what was going on and he mentioned that he needed to pay his contractors on that day to complete the plans for his projects. This was a plan he needed to present to his business partners/investors so they can start pumping money into the projects. He mentioned it’s 3 projects that he’s working on at the same time.
I asked him “what happened to all the money he had when he used to play in Europe? His response was “All my accounts are frozen as my ex-wife (Fatima Jabbi Bio) and I are going to court. She (Fatima) is claiming that some of the money in my account is hers”.
I then asked Seyfo to probably contact his business partners and explain the situation to which he declined. He then asked if I know anyone in The Gambia that can possibly borrow him some money and he’ll pay it back on the 10th of February with interest and he can even leave his title deed or one of his cars with the person until he pays back. I then asked how much he needed. He told me he needed around 125,000 dalasis.
I told him I’ll make a few phone calls and get back to him. I then called a few people I know and unfortunately, they all said it was a Saturday and the banks were closed so there wasn’t anything they could do. I relayed the message back to Seyfo and obviously, that stressed him out more.
I felt sorry for him and suggested I could withdraw money from my daughter's account but needed it back on the 10th February (as he stated). He responded that would be great and assured me that I would definitely get the money back.
He then asked if I could transfer it to his nephew's account in the UK as he does money transfers; I declined that as I would rather send the money directly to him since he’s the one asking.
I then sent the money via Western Union.
Fast forward to the 10th February ( the day he promised), he called me in the morning and asked me to send him my UK account details. I sent him my account details at 12:41(afternoon). He then told me that he was trying to sell one of his cars but the person that wanted to buy the car for his wife wanted to take it to (Breckwoldt) first for them to test the car.
I patiently waited but by 7:25 pm when I didn’t hear back from him, I sent him a text via WhatsApp requesting updates regarding my money.
He left me a voice message at 20:20 stating that he was waiting for a call back from the buyer. My response to him was that that wasn’t the agreement as he promised to pay back on the 10th February and he didn’t. I then called him and he told me he’ll try and sort something out tomorrow (that’s Saturday 11th Feb).
At 11.50am on Saturday, 11th February, I sent him a text telling him how disappointed I was that he didn’t keep to his word by paying back my money on time and imagine if this was someone else’s money, I would’ve been in big trouble. He assured me that even if the guy didn't buy the car, his eldest daughter ( the one he has with Fatima Jabbi) can transfer the money on Tuesday 14th February.
On the 13th February, he sent me a voice message to inform me that the buyer collected the car and took it to breckwordt but long story short the guy didn’t want to pay the asking price so he declined the offer.
Tuesday, 14th February, the money still wasn’t in my account. Wednesday, 15th February, the money still wasn’t in my account.
On Thursday 16th February, he assured me that I would get my money back on Saturday, 18th February.
On Saturday, 18th February, I called him around 1ish only to be told that he has the money but he spoke to a businessman whose office is by the PURA building who could do the transfer to my UK account but that guy is at the Independence Stadium. He then asked if I know anyone from Gambia that can do the transfer; I told him I was going to check with Alagie Gai Njorro.
After contacting Gai, I sent Seyfo the contact number of the lady that could do the transfer. Seyfo waited until around 6ish in the evening, according to him he drove all the way to the shop but when he got to the entrance of the shop; he realized that this was a lady he doesn’t want to be associated with as there have been issues in the past. So he didn’t transfer the money.
He then asked if I could bear with him to go and see this businessman (who apparently went to the same Daira with his own dad) so he trusted he would do the transfer.
According to him, when he arrived at that businessman’s house, there was a Gamou but he managed to speak to the man and the man told him to take the money to his secretary in Brikama and that first thing Monday morning, he’ would go to his office and do the transfer.
Monday, 20th February, Seyfo sent me a text at 11:35 am and informed me that the said businessman is going to his office to do the transaction. Two hours later, still no money in my account. I sent him a text and then called him to find out what was going on, he said the businessman told him he had a call and urgently needed to go to the Supreme Islamic Council so the transaction wasn’t done.
I then called Seyfo again around 4pm and told him that if he was having difficulty sending the money to my UK account, he can pay into my Gambian account.
He then assured me that he would go and collect the money from the businessman's secretary in Brikama and would then pay the money into my account first thing Tuesday morning.
The latest story I was told by Seyfo on Tuesday, 21st February, was that he used some of the money to pay for someone’s child's school fees.
I was so upset and angry as hell that he failed to pay back my money (money that I took from my child’s account) to help him pay his contractors!
I showered him with insults but still didn’t get my money back. All I’m asking for is for Seyfo to pay me back my money.
I’m an adult nursing student, working and studying hard in England. I was only helping a brother out when he needed help but I’m so disappointed that a man of his caliber would do such.