New Telegraph

School owner, accomplice arraigned for visa scam

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned two people, Motunrayo Olasebikan and Abideen Adefisayo Tijani, in court for alleged visa scam. The accused were arraigned by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan. Olasebikan, who claimed to be a school proprietress in the state capital, was arraigned alongside Tijani on a sevencount charge of conspiracy, forgery and uttering.

The charge reads: “That you,Olasebikan Motunrayo and Tijani Abideen Adefisayo, on or about September 2018, at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did make document titled: ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation No. J511464256’ in the name of one Adediran Pamilerin Adedayo purporting it to have been issued by the Canadian High Commission on the 6th of July, 2016 and expiring on 6th of June, 2021 with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence.” Their arraignment followed a petition to the EFCC from Inumidunsola Popoola who wrote on behalf of himself and other victims. Popoola had alleged that sometimes in February 2018, he and three others were tricked by the defendants into parting with monies running into millions of naira for processing travel documents. The accused, he added, presented themselves to be registered travel agents licensed to undertake the task.

He further alleged that though they were given some documents as agreed, it was later discovered that the papers were forged as they were turned down at the point of travelling. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them, and in view of their plea, the prosecution team led by Dr. Ben Ubi prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand the duo in custody pending the trial. The defence counsel, A. B. C. Ademiluyi and S. O. Alli, prayed the court for a short adjournment to hear the bail applications of their respective clients. Justice Akintola subsequently adjourned the case till October 7 for hearing of the bail applications, while ordering that the accused be remanded in mathe EFCC custody.

Read Previous

Three policemen dismissed for impersonating EFCC officials

Read Next

Five SECODI’s distributors get N25m reward

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *