A self-acclaimed partner of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Comrade Kennedy Iyere, has been accused of defrauding Nigerian applicants of ₦8 million under the guise of securing their participation in an international fundraising programme in Europe.

SaharaReporters learnt from a travel agency source that Iyere allegedly collected the funds from the company and its clients after claiming he could facilitate their involvement in the foreign programme.

According to a petition obtained on Wednesday, the petitioner — identified simply as Oyebade, an employee of Joe Richmond Travels — alleged that Iyere had been posing as an official partner of the ministry and exploiting its name to lure unsuspecting Nigerians, especially youths seeking overseas opportunities.

He said Joe Richmond Travels entered into an agreement with Iyere after he claimed to be operating through the Youth Integrated Economic Development Programme (YIEDEP), purportedly tied to the Ministry of Youth and Humanitarian Affairs.

Relying on Iyere’s assertions of government backing, the travel firm paid ₦8 million on behalf of two clients scheduled to participate in a Europe-based fundraising tour in September and October 2025.

However, the arrangement collapsed when both clients were denied access to all the events Iyere had promised.

“Our clients showed great interest in joining the fundraising campaign in Europe for September and October, respectively, but to our utmost amazement, neither of them was able to attend any fundraising events as promised,” Oyebade said.

He stated that despite raising red flags, Iyere insisted the programme was genuine and endorsed by the ministry, dismissing concerns that it might be a fraudulent scheme.

The situation deteriorated further when Iyere allegedly refused to honour his commitments, issue refunds, or respond to calls and messages.

“It became a rude shock that Mr. Iyere has consistently refused to refund and even refused to honour any of our calls or messages since October,” the petition states.

Oyebade said attempts to seek intervention from the Ministry of Youth and Humanitarian Affairs yielded no response, leaving both the travel company and the victims stranded.

He urged security agencies to intervene urgently, recover the funds, and prevent other young Nigerians from falling victim to programmes disguised as empowerment initiatives or international development opportunities.

When contacted last week by SaharaReporters, Iyere insisted he would issue a refund within days.
However, SaharaReporters can confirm that no refund had been made as of the time of filing this report.