In a chilling revelation, a retired school teacher, Mr. James Adisa, has recounted the harrowing experience of how his death was falsified and his pension siphoned by unscrupulous individuals, leaving him alive but financially broken.
Mr. Adisa, who spent over three decades molding young minds in a rural community school, was eagerly anticipating his retirement, a time he had hoped to spend peacefully with his family. However, the joy of his long-awaited rest was cut short when he discovered that his identity had been stolen, and worse, he was legally pronounced dead.
In a tearful interview, Mr. Adisa described how he first learned of the shocking incident. “I went to the pension office to follow up on my benefits, only to be told that I was no longer eligible because I had died. They even produced a death certificate with my name on it,” he recounted.
His world came crashing down as he realized that someone had gone to great lengths to forge documents that declared him deceased. With his death falsely recorded, the perpetrators had gained access to his pension, which they withdrew over time. By the time he uncovered the scheme, it was too late — his pension was gone, and he was entangled in a web of bureaucracy, unable to prove his existence.
Mr. Adisa further explained the pain of having to convince people he was still alive. “At some point, I began to feel like I was a ghost because, everywhere I went, the records said I was dead. It was like my whole life had been erased.”
He spoke of how this ordeal plunged him into depression, as he struggled to find a way to get his identity back. Despite presenting official identification and records to prove he was very much alive, the road to recovery has been long and grueling. His efforts to reclaim his pension have been met with endless red tape and delays.
This is not an isolated case. The story of Mr. Adisa sheds light on a growing trend of pension fraud in the country, where corrupt officials or criminal syndicates exploit vulnerabilities in the system to defraud unsuspecting retirees. Many of these retirees, like Mr. Adisa, are elderly individuals with little means of defending themselves or fighting lengthy legal battles.
As his story continues to gain attention, Mr. Adisa has become a symbol of the systemic failure that many pensioners face. He now calls for urgent reforms to prevent such tragic occurrences and for the government to take swift action in restoring the rights and benefits of retirees whose pensions have been stolen.
“For every day this drags on, I lose a part of myself. It’s not just about the money — it’s about dignity. How can you tell a man that he doesn’t exist?” he said.
The public has rallied around him, with calls for an investigation into the syndicate responsible for this fraud. Advocacy groups have also pressed for better protection for retirees, ensuring that they can enjoy their golden years without the fear of being exploited.
For Mr. Adisa, the fight continues, but he remains hopeful that justice will prevail. “As I speak, I’m dead, but I refuse to remain dead in the eyes of the law. I will fight for my name, my pension, and my life.”
The story of Mr. James Adisa serves as a painful reminder of how vulnerable the elderly can be in the face of corruption and bureaucracy. It highlights the need for urgent systemic reform and the enforcement of accountability to protect those who have dedicated their lives to the service of others.
