http://odili.net/news/source/2013/jul/30/317.html

Police smash human trafficking syndicate to USA

News Tuesday, July 30, 2013


Adejayan and Adebisi


By EVELYN USMAN

LAGOS - The Nigeria Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi has smashed a syndicate which specialized in smuggling desperate Nigerians to the United State of America, USA, for N1.5 million each.

The syndicate's modus oparandi, according to spokesperson for the unit, Ngozi Nsitume-Agu, included match-making their preys with winners of America visa lottery as couple.

Currently, a male teacher in a school around Mafoluku area of the state and a female prey from Ekiti were arrested by the unit.

Their arrest, according to Nsitume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, was effected following a petition by the Assistant Regional Security Officer to the United States Consulate General alleging that the suspects, Adejayan Adetokunbo and Adebisi Funke "conspired and went to the US Embassy to be interviewed for Immigrant visa to USA as couple, adding that the said marriage was determined to be fraudulent.

“It was also alleged that they were working with touts for the purpose of smuggling Nigerians to the United States of America. The suspects were arrested by the embassy when they came to collect their visa and handed over to SFU.

"Investigation revealed that they were not husband and wife as they claimed. It was an ‘arrangee’ marriage by one Segun and his syndicate who specialized in merging prospective visa seekers together in marriage for onward smuggling to U.S.A.

Modus operandi

“Their modus operandi is to merge a lottery visa winner with a non-winner and package both to USA. In this case, N1.5 million was collected from Funke and she was purportedly joined in matrimony with Adejayan Adetokunbo who genuinely won the lottery visa. Both suspects confessed in their statements that they were not husband and wife."

In his confessional statement, 35-year-old Adetokunbo, native of Ondo Local government Area of Ondo State admitted to have won the visa lottery which he said was entered on his behalf by a friend, adding that the undisclosed friend later instructed him to be attached with a woman when coming.

He further claimed that the so-called friend introduced him to one Segun who brought Funke for the arranged marriage and subsequent interview and visa.

On her part, 27-year-old Funke claimed to have paid N1.5 million in two installments to members of the syndicate to process her visa and other charges which included passports, medicals and training, stating that the syndicate played on her gullibility.

I thought SW was heaven and there was no need for a SWner to travel out of Lagos and its environs?

A little recap:
When I visited one of the embassies in VI to obtain my student visa in 2003, a SW guy named Tunde accosted me at the embassy gate and tried to talk me into giving him my visa for 50K. I laughed my head off and asked him to follow me to my house to discuss further. Surprisingly, this guy followed me from VI to Satellite town where I stayed with my brother and kept yapping about my visa. I wanted to take his money and travel but being a Godly person after several days of him calling me on phone asking ''how far'', I told him off.

Man charged over visa racketeering

on January 10, 2012 / in News 12:30 am / Comments

By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS- The Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Ikoyi, Lagos, has charged to court, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Global Edge Consulting Limited, Alliyu Nurudeen for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting members of the public through visa racketeering.

The suspect, who just completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, according to the Unit, was discovered during investigation to have defrauded over 3,000 Nigerians of several millions of naira for the issuance of residence and work permit in Canada and Australia.

Spokesperson for the Unit, Mrs Ngozi Isintume, said Alliu’s arrest was effected following report of his activities by the Canadian Deputy Commission to the Unit.

She said: “During investigation, the suspect admitted that his line of operation includes handling of applications and procurement of Diversity Visa Lottery to USA and issuance of Residence and Work permit to Canada and Australia.”

To make his activities look genuine, Insintume said the suspect printed some forms tagged ‘Application For Permanent Residence’ which were used to collect applicants’ details for work permit eligibility evaluation.

Thereafter, applicants were asked to pay of N4000 each into some bank accounts provided by the suspect, for a one-day seminar ,where a Canadian Immigration lawyer was expected to lecture the applicants this January.

But the bubble burst after some curious applicants contacted the Canadian High Commission, where it was discovered it was fraud.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Unit, Mr Chinwike Asadu, has advised members of the public, who wish to travel oversea to procure their visas from the appropriate embassies, rather than patronize the services of so-called agents or consultants, to avoid falling prey to fraudsters.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/man-charged-over-visa-racketeering/#sthash.SyLUskDX.dpuf

Using false identity to travel abroad
By Kunle Adeyemi
Published: Friday, 1 Feb 2008
The craze to travel abroad by all means arguably became a noticeable fad in Nigeria about 20 years ago, when unemployed graduates, prostitutes and school drop-outs began to explore every crooked method of finding their way into western countries. Methods common to these sets of desperate youngsters include the most dehumanising stowing away system. By this, young Nigerians hide themselves in cargo compartment of ships so that they could be ferried out of the country without the knowledge of the owners of the ship. Another harrowing method of running out of the country is crossing the border on foot and escaping into any of the North African countries, especially Libya, from where they cross to Spain. Many have lost their lives in the process.


Perhaps, the most criminally-inclined method of travelling abroad is the use of another individual‘s passport in which the new, albeit fake owner of the passport bears the data identity of the original owner of the passport. In a few cases, such fraudulent people had been lucky to beat the screening machinery at foreign embassies’ entry borders and had triumphantly entered the foreign country of their choice. But most often, many others have not been so lucky. The fortunate ones among them were simply refused visas, while the unfortunate ones were arrested at the embassies and handed over to the police.

In the last one year, detectives at the Criminal Investigation Department, Lagos State Police Command, and the Special Fraud Unit, Nigeria Police, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, have prosecuted over 30 suspects for passport-related offences. An investigation by our correspondent showed that 17 of the suspects pleaded guilty and were summarily tried and convicted. However, the sentences seem not to be a sufficient deterrent for the convicts. The sentences ranged between six and 18 months imprisonment, and in most cases, with an option of fine.

The investigation further showed that sometime in 2005, a gang of armed robbers raided the Lagos home of a media executive. The executive (names withheld), who was still at work at about 8pm when the robbers struck, had his passport stolen among other valuables. The passport, seen as hot cake, had expired visas of many foreign countries. The case was reported at all the embassies concerned. Over two years after the robbery, precisely in December 2007, a 31-year-old man, Segun Amure, was arrested with the stolen passport at the British Embassy. He was processing a UK visa when he was arrested. Amure was not alone. After adopting the name, date of birth, state of origin, marital status et al, of the original owner of the passport, he was joined in a phoney marriage with a lady, Joy Alarape, so that the lady could obtain a British visa as the wife of a ‘frequent traveller.’ The lady was also arrested.

Since the stolen passport had only expired visas, the culprits needed to apply for a visa renewal before the passport could be used. However, since the case had been reported to both the police and the High Commission, it was easy to invite the culprits for an interview and arrest.

During interrogation, Amure, who is in the custody of the SFU and will soon appear in court, told our correspondent that he had been making futile attempts to emigrate since 1998. He said a passport racketeer, identified as Fola Arogundade, offered him the stolen passport and promised him a visa for a fee of N300,000. ”I never met Joy before, it was Fola who arranged everything and told me that both of us would appear at the embassy as husband and wife. After we had been given our passports, Fola gave me Joy‘s number so that I could call her. Some days before the Ileya festival, I received a call that we were to appear at the embassy for interview on January 3. I met Joy there. A security man first sent us away, but I met another man who promised to assist us. The man collected our papers and went inside. He came out about 20 minutes later and asked us to follow him in. We were asked to sit down and we waited for about four hours before a white man opened the door and asked if we were the couple intending to travel. I said yes and he just beckoned to a man standing by the door and pointed at us. The man, who we later discovered is a policeman, took us away from the embassy and that was how we found ourselves here,” Amure said.

However, after his arrest, detectives at the SFU, who were bent on getting to the root of the matter, had a Herculian task tracing the whereabouts of Arogundade, the man behind the sale of the stolen passport. At a point, the suspect was said to have travelled to London. He was also said to have been deported. After about two weeks of search, the detectives traced him to a house in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he was arrested.

Arogundade himself admitted that he had been preparing fake passports and other travel documents for desperate travellers for many years for a fee. “I do most of the paper work at Oluwole (Lagos Island‘s now demolished notorious spot for forging and counterfeiting documents). All I do is to buy an original but stolen passport, I will then take it to Oluwole where they will remove the original passport photograph and fix the fake owner‘s passport photograph. It costs me N20,000 to do that,” Arogundade said.

The suspect claimed to have bought the passport he used for Amure from one Alberto, who he said was in London and a kingpin in passport racketeering. He further linked the passport to another suspect, Abiodun Adewunmi, who is also in the SFU net. Alberto allegedly sent a telephone number to Adewunmi and asked him to call the line. The owner of the line was the one who reportedly delivered the passport to Adewunmi and the latter then handed it over to Arogundade.

Arogundade, 35, who confessed that he had no stable job, said some of the people he had procured fake travel documents for had successfully used them to travel out of the country, usually by bribing departure point officials and then pleading for assylum in Europe; while a few others had not been so lucky. Although all the suspects are still in SFU’s custody, the commissioner in charge of the police formation, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, told our correspondent that the suspects would have been charged to court two weeks ago but for some legal and administrative bottlenecks.


http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2008013111145018

A Yoruba woman was arrested in Lagos using an Igbo name to procure a VISA

Mrs ''Okorie'', whose real name is Oloruntoyin Onanuga Omobowale was reportedly arrested at the American Embassy in Lagos for trying to procure visas with an alleged forged documents on December 13, 2007. First, ''Okorie'' failed miserably in her attempt. She didn't get the visa; she lost money not only to the American Embassy but to the people who provided the forged papers with which she attempted to obtain the visa and she spent the Christmas and New Year with the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Road, Ikoyi.

Second, Mrs. ''Okorie'' does not even pretend to have respect for the law. According to the report, she had been at the same embassy in 2000, 2002 and again in 2007 using different names.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801070689.html

Police battle visa racketeers
02.26.2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

In recent times, the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police has been inundated with complaints on several cases of forgery and impersonation discovered during visa applications and interviews at the American Embassy, Lagos. Why are the racketeers having a field day? Eugene Agha writes

The suspect, Islamiyat Olaronke Agoro was alleged to have gone to the American Embassy on January 8, 2008, for a visa interview, with the above name. Upon review of the Embassy’s records, according to THISDAY source at the embassy, it was discovered that the suspect had previously traveled to the United States, using another identity. It was suspected that on July 30, 2007, the suspect entered the United States with a United Kingdom (UK) passport No 09448024 bearing the name Salimot Agoro. This was confirmed through finger prints and physical recognition software. The suspect and recovered documents were forwarded to Special Fraud Unit (SFU) for further investigation.

Investigation into the matter commenced and the suspect made useful statements to the police. It has now been established that the suspect actually traveled to the United States, using a UK passport bearing the name Salimot Agoro. It later turn out that the said Salimot Agoro was her sister with whom she shares some physical resemblance.

Following the discovery, the police at the Special Fraud Unit have extended its drag net to the UK to arrest the said Salimot. The said Saimot Agoro, according to THISDAY check shows that Salimot Agoro is presently residing in the UK and efforts are on to reach her for questioning, while her sister would soon be arraigned in court upon completion of investigation.

The second suspect, according to the Commissioner of Police in charge of SFU, Mr. Olayinka Balogun is Emaghara Uche Joseph. According to Balogun, on January 4, 2008 one Emaghara Uche Joseph applied for a visa at the American Embassy, Lagos. He tendered a Nigerian Passport containing Canadian and Hungarian visas, which upon close inspection by the consular officer were believed to be counterfeit.

He explained that during investigation, the suspect made a confessional statement, stating that both visas were forged for him by one Shola Iyun, at the rate of N80,000. This, he claimed was done to make his passport appear used, and thereby creating an impression that he was a frequent traveler. The said Shola Iyun will be declared wanted, while the above suspect would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation.

Though, it did not rest after the arrest of the two suspects, Balogun stated that the criminal activities of these fraudulent Nigerians have brought about the bad image which the country has been subjected to in the past. While it was still planning to prosecute the two suspects, a third person was brought in following the complaint from the embassy. The suspect who was identified as Popoola Stephen was alleged to have applied to the American Embassy for a visa with Nigerian Passport No A31604904, Upon inspection of their records, Balogun stated that it was suspected that the applicant had earlier attempted to travel to the US on a forged Beninois Passport with a counterfeit American visa.

Upon interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted that in July 2006, he actually traveled to the US via Amsterdam on a forged Beninese passport with a counterfeit visa. The forgeries were discovered in Amsterdam whilst in transit and he was subsequently deported to Benin. He further stated that he paid one[b] Shina Ajibade[/b], the sum of four hundred thousand naira (N400, 000.00) for the forged documents.

“On January 14, 2007, Adebisis Olushola Ogunpola attended a visa interview at the American Embassy. A close perusal of her Nigerian passport revealed Chinese and Turkish visas, which were believed to be fake,” he said.

Upon interrogation by detectives at the SFU, she allegedly made a confessional statement, admitting to having procured one Musibau to forge the visa for her at the rate of N50,000. This was to enable her passport appear used, instead of the fresh passport that it was. Suspect would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation. Another suspect Babatunde Akindele on January 15, 2008, appeared at the American Embassy to review his visa. A scrutiny of the records revealed that the suspect had been using various names at the Embassy, hence the report” he added.

Interrogation by detectives at SFU led the suspect to admit to having perpetrated several scams in a bid to get an American visa. He confessed that in 1999, he traveled to the US on a British passport No. 003306622 bearing the name Dare Akintola, which was procured to him by one Adedeji Johnson.

He used this passport to travel to the US, but was deported at the point of entry. In 2001 he also applied for a US visa, using a Nigerian passport number A1080618 bearing the Babajide Johnson Adedeji. This was also detected and the application was refused. He still re-applied in 2001 with his real name and his application was successful, until he was detected at point of renewal. Investigation in his case is in progress.

Hadijat Olasunbo Balogun is also going through similar interrogation with the Police. She had applied for a US visa and was subsequently invited for an interview. On close scrutiny, her document where discovered to be forged. Detectives at SFU swung into action on receipt of the case. The suspect was interrogated, and she made a confessional statement where she detailed how she forged the papers. Her alleged husband, Kehinde Balogun who conspired with her was equally arrested. Documents recovered from the couple include a fake West African Senior School Certificate, a Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy, Deed of Agreement, UBA and GTBank Statements of Accounts, Corporate Affairs Commission Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association and Yaba College of Technology Certificate.

However, Kehinde Balogun made useful statement admitting that he paid one Ojolo Oluseyi the sum of N200,000 to procure the forged documents. Upon his arrest, Ojolo Oluseyi, allegedly admitted collecting the money from the suspects. He claimed that he also in turn paid one Dide from Benin Republic the sum of N75,000 for the documents. Police last week gave indication that the suspects would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation.

On January 10, 2008, one Emmanuel Onyekachi Chukwu allegedly attended a visa interview at the US Embassy. Upon review of the records, it was discovered that he had applied for visa previously, using different identity. On interrogation, it was discovered that in 2000, he applied for a visa using the name Emmanuel Ukaegbu Chukwu with date of birth as 28/07/1979. In 2004, he applied as Emmanuel Onyekachi Chukwu with another date of birth. He also gave false information to the Embassy in 2004, when he presented a woman with kids as his family but denied having a family in 2005. Investigation is in progress, and suspect would also be arraigned in court upon conclusion of his case.

Balogun warned the public to be wary of dubious agents who claim to be able to procure visa, especially American visas, for unsuspecting or gullible members of the public. Potential applicants should also be warned that they not only risk losing money in the process but may also face trial which may lead to imprisonment and subsequent inconveniences.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/feb/27/201.html

isa racketeering: SFU beams searchlight on American Embassy | Print | E-mail
Written by Albert Akpor
Friday, 07 March 2008
— Arrests couple, 8 others

THE Olayinka Balogun-led Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police is currently beaming its searchlight on the American Embassy following reports of mass invasion by visa racketeers. Already, a man and his wife and eight others are presently cooling their heels in the Unit’s custody and may be prosecuted if a prima facie case is established against them.


Speaking with Crime Guard at the Milverton office of the unit, the Police Commissioner said that the SFU was poised to cleanse the entire country of corruption and fraudulent practices. According to him, “the onslaught against visa racketeers followed series of complaints from the American Embassy.

This is yet another opportunity to warn members of the public to be wary of dubious agents who claim to be able to procure visas especially, American visa, for unsuspecting or gullible members of the public. Potential applicants are also warned that they not only risk losing money in the process but may also face trial which may lead to imprisonment.”

Giving a lowdown on the arrested suspects, the Police boss said: “ On January 8, 2008, one Mrs. Islamiyat Olaronke Agoro, a female visa applicant went to American Embassy for a visa interview.When the embassy’s record was reviewed, it was discovered that the suspect had previously travelled to the United States, using another identity. It was suspected that on July 30, 2007, the suspect entered the US with a UK passport No. 0944480424 bearing the name Salimot Agoro.

This was confirmed through fingerprints and physical recognition software. At the end of investigations, it was also discovered that the suspect actually travelled to the US using a UK visa bearing Salimot Agoro, belonging to her sister with whom she shares some physical resemblance. The said Salimot Agoro presently resides in the UK and efforts are on to reach her for questioning.

“Another suspect is Hadijat Olasunbo Balogun. The suspect also applied for a US visa and was invited for an interview. On close scrutiny, her documents were discovered to be forged. Further investigations by detectives at SFU showed that her husband, Kehinde Balogun, conspired with her to forge the documents.

We got him arrested equally and recovered a West African Senior School Certificate, Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy, a deed of agreement, a UBA and GTB statements of account, Corporate Affairs Commission certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum and Article of Association and Yaba College of Technology certificate from them. Kehinde Balogun made useful statements admitting that he paid one Ojolo Oluseyi the sum of N200,000 to procure the forged documents. We then went after the said Ojolo and got him arrested also. He admitted collecting the money, but claimed he in turn paid one Dide of Benin Republic the sum of N75,000 for the documents. We would arraign the suspects in court at the end of investigations.”

“Similarly,” continued the Police boss, “another suspect who identified herself as Adebisi Olusola Ogunpola was arrested following revelation that the visa found in her possession was forged. Like every other applicant, the suspect attended a visa interview at the American Embassy, but a close perusal of her Nigerian passport showed Chinese and Turkish visas which were unarguably fake. When interrogated, she confessed that she hired the services of one Musibau to forge the visa for her at the rate of N50,000. This was to enable the passport appear used instead of the fresh passport that it was.

“Another diehard suspect is one Babatunde Akindele. This suspect appeared at the American Embassy to review his visa. A scrutiny of the records revealed that the suspect had been using various names at the embassy and we were promptly alerted. Interrogation by my men led the suspect to admit to having perpetrated several scams in a bid to get an American visa.

He confessed that in 1999, he travelled to the US on a British passport No. 003306622 bearing the name, Dare Akinola, which was procured for him by one Adedeji Johnson. He used this passport to travel to the US but was deported at the point of entry. In 2001, he also applied for a US visa using a Nigerian passport No. A1080618 bearing the name, Babajide Johnson Adedeji. This was also detected and the application was refused. He re-applied in 2001 with his real name, and his application was successful until he was detected at point of renewal. He is one desperate and unrepentant racketeer and we are spreading our dragnet in other embassies for people like him.”

Other racketeers with similar offence, the CP maintained, would be thoroughly investigated and would face the full wrath of the law.

‘I made a living processing illegal travel documents for clients for six years’
By AKINWALE ABORISADE, Published: Sunday, 9 May 2010



Having lost hope of travelling back to his base in London after a short vacation in Nigeria, Tunde Omotosho engaged in processing fake documents for his clients trying to obtain visas to travel abroad. He did this for six years until the law caught up with him recently, writes AKINWALE ABORISADE



For him, the road to success is bumpy. But he is not relenting. To get to the top, he determined to go all hog, even when the means might not be right.



No wonder he chose the wrong business six years ago to eke out a living for himself. Tunde Omotosho, 56, until he met his Waterloo recently, headed a forgery syndicate based in Ibadan, Oyo State.



Omotosho, a native of Offa in Kwara State, started the illegal business after a failed attempt to return to his base in London some years ago.



He had come to Nigeria on vacation to tend to his ailing father, who later died. Going back became dicey for him as his travel documents had expired.



He said that it was difficult for him to get a renewal of his travel permit. ”All hope crumbled before me without any means out of my travail,” Omotosho lamented.



To keep body and soul together, he set up a travel consultancy at the old Gbagi Market in Ibadan. The outfit specialises in processing of (fake) papers to secure travel permit for intending travellers. His business moved well for six years until recently when the long arm of the law caught up with him.



Omotosho and his accomplice, Lekan Olanrewaju, a 40-year-old graphic artist, now languish in police custody in the Oyo State capital.



The duo met their Waterloo following a hint to the police in the Yemetu area of Ibadan from some members of the public. Found in Omotosho‘s custody were sensitive documents and official stamps.



A team of investigators from Yemetu Police Station, Ibadan, found items such as forged bank papers, police documents, and stamps of Intercontinental Bank and First City Monument Bank.



Other items found in his possession included official seals of the registrar, Magistrate‘s Court, Mapo, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Nigeria Police, Iyaganku Police Station, the Nigeria Police, Bayelsa State Command, forged cheques, certificates of statutory right of occupancy and many more.



During interrogation, Omotosho, who was the principal suspect, confessed to the crime. His statement led to Olanrewaju‘s arrest. Omotosho told the police that Olanrewaju did the stamps and seals for him.



Olanrewaju agreed that he had done some stamps for him. He explained that he met Omotosho about 10 years ago through his dead master, who trained him as an artist. ”The man used to come to my master to do stamp. He told us that he is a travel agent and that he used the stamps to process visa for those who wish to travel out,” the embattled artist said.



He feigned ignorance when asked if he was aware that he had been involved in illegal business with Omotosho.



According to him, the travel agent was based in London and as someone who had lived abroad for some years most people believed that his business was genuine. ”We also discovered that most of his clients have now travelled abroad.”



The Oyo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ms. Olabisi Okuwobi, said that 74 illegal stamps were found in possession of the fake travel agent.



Omotosho said that he was into processing of documents for travel permits and not processing of visas. ”I don‘t process visa for people. I only package documents with which people apply for visa at the embassy,” he said.



According to him, he had processed documents for 12 people within six years of the business. These included police reports, bank statements, sworn statements (affidavits), tax clearance etc. He said, ”I started the business some years ago when someone approached me to help him process travel documents that he could use to process his visa. Almost at the same time I was introduced to foreign exchange trading popularly called FOREX through a friend at Gbagi Market.”



He said that having had some ideas in 1980 when he processed his travelling document, he decided to go into the business.



He met a Ghanaian sign writer to make fake stamps for him. ”I have been using the stamps for people to process visa. About nine of them were able to secure the visa with which they travelled abroad. Between 2008 and 2009, I made documents for one Mrs. Lawal, Tayo and Tope. All of them are now in London.”



Omotosho said that he charged between N60,000 and N70,000 to package the papers for his client. The bill he gives to his client depends on their financial strength and bargaining capacity.



He said that he made a gain of about N40,000 in each transaction explaining that ”I charge about N70,000 for the papers. Out of this I pay the visa fee of about N20,000 and I travel to Lagos to submit the documents at the embassy.”



Omotosho believes that the business that he is into is not bad once his clients always get good result. ”Once the visa is issued I think my aim is achieved since I don‘t have problem with my customers,” he adds.



However, he said that he had some regret in 2008 when he processed a paper for one of his clients called Demola.



”He was refused visa so he made trouble with me. He insisted that I refunded his money (N70,000) being the sum collected to process his documents. I paid him in bits.”



Apart from making documents for intending travellers, Omotosho said that he also engaged in foreign exchange dealing. He said, ”Many people come to me to change their ‘hard currency‘ into naira. I never gave them fake currencies.”



He told SUNDAY PUNCH, ”Nobody trained me to do the job. I started by going to the embassy to ask for their requirements and I followed the procedure.”



When asked why he uses fake means to process the documents for his clients, he said, ”I do so in order to beat time. You know it takes time to obtain police papers and to swear affidavits. It is very difficult to get good bank statement so I do it on my own to make it fast. I was not aware that it is illegal to do what I am doing.”



Omotosho, who said he was formerly a clerical officer at the State Ministry of Education, Kwara State, Ilorin, vowed that once he got out of the hook, he would not go back to the business.



He said, ”I am not going to do the business again once I am freed.”



The police said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigations on the case were concluded.

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http://www.gbooza.com/group/crime/forum/topics/nis-parades-9-suspects-for#axzz2aZwOQZtl

NIS parades 9 suspects for visa racketeering

Even in places as remote as Ogbomosho, they also do visa racketeering.

Visa Racketeer Sued for N.2m Scam
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A 46-year-old businessman, Afeez Adeosun, was on Wednesday docked before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for fraudulently obtaining N200,000 from a man under the pretext of assisting him to procure German visa.

The accused, who claimed to be a visa agent, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

The prosecutor, Insp. Gbenga Oludare, told the court that the accused collected the money from one Rasheed Gomez on Lagos Island between 2008 and 2010.

He said that Adeosun fraudulently and unlawfully converted the money to his own personal use without processing the visa for Gomez as promised.

Oludare said that the offence contravened Sections 385 and 419 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Magistrate Mulikat Ali-Balogun granted the accused N100,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till Dec. 13, for further hearing.


http://www.sharpedgenews.com/index.php/news/recent-news/420-visa-racketeer-sued-for-n2m-scam

Even Bash Ali is not left out of the visa racketeering

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14557969_ITM

Visa racket suspect in police net
24/02/2012 00:00:00 bele Boniface

Every day for the thief; one day for the owner”, goes an African adage. For Aliyu Nurudeen Ajibola, 25, who has been on the run for several months, the long arm of the law finally caught up with him on December 8, 2011 as operatives of the Special fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi had him arrested. Ajibola is alleged to be Nigeria’s number one visa racketeer who has duped over 3,000 unsuspecting and innocent Nigerians.

The majority of his victims are members of the public who are desperate to travel to the United States of America (USA), Canada and Australia among other foreign countries in search of the proverbial greener pastures.

Born March 15, 1986, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the 25-year-old graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the University of Lagos claimed to be the Managing Director of his own company. But in a tone that is unrepentant, Ajibola said, he had no intention of defrauding anybody and that if he was given some time he would refund the money he allegedly owed to many clients of his, but for now he had no dime to pay anybody. In fact he dared everybody to wait for him in court.

“I have an image to protect. I am a humanitarian to the core. I spent the money the way it came. I had no intention of defrauding anybody. If I am given chance or more time, I will refund them their money. For now I don’t have a dime to refund. Go and wait for me in the court. This is a good work for my lawyers”, he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the SFU, Ngozi Isintume, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), penultimate week, gave insight into the alleged crime. According to her, it all started on December 8, 2011, when the head, visa operation, Canadian Deputy High Commission reported the activities of the syndicate.

The SFU operatives promptly swung into action and Aliyu Nurudeen Ajibola, who claimed to be a youth corps member as well as the MD/CEO of Global Edge Consulting Limited, situated at No. 89, Ogudu Road, Ojota, Lagos was arrested.

During interrogation, the suspect, according to the police, admitted that his line of operation includes handling of applications and procurement of Diversity Visa Lottery to US and issuance of Residence/Work Permit in Canada and Australia.

It was discovered that the alleged suspect had through Global Edge Consulting Limited succeeded in defrauding over 3,000 Nigerians who paid over N4,000 (Four Thousand Naira) each through various bank accounts provided by the alleged suspect for a one-day seminar on work permit.

A partner of the alleged suspect named Ade Mabo was to assist them bring a Canadian Immigration lawyer as an instructor for the seminar which was to commence this January.

To erase doubt and make his activities look genuine, the alleged suspect printed some forms tagged “Application for Permanent Residence” which were used to collect applicant’s details for work permit eligibility evaluation.

If one is single, he pays N500 while the form for a family is N1000. Beside, the alleged suspect has also registered over 1,000 clients/applicants for Diversity Visa Lottery program 2013 where he also collected N500 for single and N1,000 for family applicants.

A female victim who seemed to be desperately in need of an American visa parted with N300,000 while another male victim paid N4,500 for registration for Canadian Resident Permit.

All the above activities were done without the permission of the various embassies concerned because the suspect claimed that permission was not needed.

Meanwhile, it has been discovered that neither the US Embassy nor the Canadian High Commission authorised the suspect or his company to act as an agent or consultant for them. The US Embassy emphasised that the Diversity Visa Lottery Program is free of charge, while the Canadian High Commission said that Global Edge Consulting Limited is not registered as a member with the designated Immigration Consultation of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) and that all its activities are not recognised by the government of Canada.

The suspect has since been arraigned on December 23, 2011 on an eight count charge before a Lagos Magistrate court.

Speaking to Newsextra, the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), CP Chinwike Asadu, advised members of the public who wish to travel overseas to procure their visas from the appropriate embassies and warned prospective visa seekers not to patronise the services of the so-called agents or consultants to avoid falling an easy prey to fraudsters.

The over 3,000 victims include one Babalola Temilola Yemisi residing at No. 17, Ajibola Crescent Alapere, Lawal Olanrewaju who claims that he has experience in automobile engineering and Akpan Kingsley Willie who claims to have experience in store keeping among others.

One of the female victims who spoke to Newsextra on condiditon of anonymity said, “I applied for the visa lottery when I saw the notice in a flier. One day I met Tosin who told me that I won the visa lottery and I went and paid him (the suspect) N300,000.00. There was nothing to make me suspect him hence he continued to obtain (sic) money from me until the bubble burst”.

A search at the office Ajibola was using to for his business led to the recovery of many fliers including that for Canada Immigration program, ones for DV Lottery and some of the victims passport photographs and full size pictures.

They use Igbo names to racket visa

Brother Marries Own Blood Sister In Nigeria (Read 1990 times)
Ayemokhia (1518)
Naijapals Addict (m) | 3 years ago

Wonders will never end.


Brother marries sister
By Chioma Igbokwe
Saturday, February 20, 2010

It could be described as a taboo for siblings to marry one another, but Anthonia and Victor in desperate bid to secure UK visa decided to be known and addressed as husband and wife. On the fateful day, January 28, 2008, Anthonia dressed in a flowing white gown, marched to the Ojo marriage registry with Victor to be joined as husband and wife. This was done in a bid to convince the British High Commission to grant them a visiting visa since they can never meet the criteria needed to secure such visa.

With the aid of a naval officer, (Kayode Olaniyan) they were able to secure forged documents, which portrayed them as highly placed individuals in Nigeria. The expectation was that the forged document would guarantee them a visiting visa, and they applied to spend two weeks in UK.

To further convince the BHC, they went along with their wedding photograph, especially where they were cementing their ‘marriage’ with a kiss. Bubble however bust on February 16 when the British High Commission that was not aware the ‘couple’ is related by blood discovered that the bank statement presented was slightly altered. They alerted the police at the Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi who in turn dispatched an officer to stand by for any possible arrest.

Unknown to them that their game was up, the BHC invited the ‘couple’ for a final interview, where they would be issued a visa. They were careful to ensure that they appeared in uniformed attire so that the difference would not be spotted. Passersby commended their choice of spouse as they looked alike. In the visa section, holding each other closely they stepped into the interview room. The man meant to interview them enquired if they had a swell time on Sunday being Valentine. They were still waiting for their Visa to be issued when the police arrested them for forgery. They were arrested alongside the visa racketeer, Kayode Olaniyan who is alleged to have forged the entire document used for the act.

The PRO SFU, CSP Akan, explained that when Victor discovered that the game was up, he shouted that the man (Kayode) who gave them the document was waiting outside to collect the balance as soon as they collect their approved visa. Unknown to Kayode, the game was up; he was arrested where he was waiting for the balance as soon as the deal clicks. In the course of interrogation, ready to vomit all the illegal things, they have done, Victor confessed that Anthonia was not his wife but his blood sister.

Victor told Saturday Sun that he was tired of struggling to survive in Nigeria that was why he quickly grabbed the opportunity when Kayode promised to assist them to travel out. “He gave us instances of people who he had travelled as ‘couple’. He requested that we should pay N900,000 for the deal but we ended up paying N180,000 with the promise to pay up as soon as the visa is granted.

“He promised that it was easier for couple to be granted visa so we quickly bought the idea to pose as couple. Part of the criteria was to get married, he arranged and we paid at the Ojo marriage registry. He also got some document which shows that I am a marine engineer, working in a company where I am paid more N300,000 monthly. I am an OND student of Lagos State Polytechnic where I am studying Banking and Finance.

I am not a marine engineer and do not have an account in WEMA Bank. I have never attended Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Victoria Island. My real names are Ayeye Victor Adejobi. My younger sister who posed as my wife is Antonia Ayeye. Nebelisa is not my father’s name at all. Kayode gave us the surname ‘Nebelisa’ and instructed that we should obtain the passport. He took us to Ado Ekiti where we obtained the passport in the name of ‘Nebelisa’.”

When asked how he felt, kissing his sister, Victor said: “ It was disgusting but then I had no choice. I felt very bad knowing that it is an abomination, but because we wanted results, we had to comply. Take a look at the picture it will show that I was not comfortable with what I was doing.” Anthonia saw herself as an actress that was why she was very comfortable when it was time to kiss the bride.

On why she decided to embark on such mission, Anthonia explained that she did it to better her life and would not hesitate do whatever it took to get to the promised land. “I am a stylist and my office is located at Onobotubon Street, off Asho Street, Benin. Victor is my blood brother from the same father and mother. We were introduced to Kayode by a family friend who claimed that he has assisted a lot of people to secure UK visa.”

She explained that: “one of the ways to perfect the plan was to marry my brother, Victor. I saw that as a mere act, since I know that I am not married to my brother in real life. As agreed he took us to the marriage registry at Ojo, Lagos, to get married. At the end we were issued a marriage certificate. To perfect the business, he said we are to pay N900,000, but we managed to drop N180,000 as part payment. I am single and still searching ”

Their rip-off games man, Olaniyan, was not satisfied with his pay in the Navy and he chose to go into visa racketeering to add to his monthly salary. With his experience in the Navy, he was able to reproduce documents used to facilitate his clients’ visa requests, which depict the applicants as having military background.

Kayode who lives at No. 42 Olajumoke Street, Ikotun, Lagos, claimed that he joined the Nigerian Navy in 2005, and still works in the Navy. He explained that he knew his clients “through a family friend of mine, Tunde who told me that they were desperate to travel out of the country. I was the one who arranged for the forged marine documents and marine certificate of competency.

I brought the sample and it was reproduced just like the original document. I then hired the services of a good forger, Isaac, who brought the bank statement, sales receipt and the other documents that were presented. I asked them to pay, N900,000 to process the document which they agreed to but I only collected N180,000 based on the agreement that I would receive the balance at the end of the business. I would have collected the remaining sum today if the visa was issued.”

To the amazement of the British High Commission, Victor presented a document showing that he is working at the Durba Shipping (DNL). He also furnished the Commission with an internal memo approving 30 days annual leave, payment slip indicating a monthly salary of N310,000, letter of employment showing that he was employed as 2nd Engineer with effect from May 12, 2003 and a letter of introduction from the company. Victor further gave the Commission a certificate of Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Victoria Island Lagos.

Anthonia, the hair stylist on her part appeared before the interview panel claiming that she is CEO/Chairman of the Emmanuel Sidah Ventures. She presented an introduction letter of herself as the owner of the company. Also in her custody was a document from the Corporate Affairs Commission showing when the business was registered. This document was a certificate to authenticate the registration of the business.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/living/2010/feb/20/living-20-02-2010-001.htm

Bizarre: Nigerian marries daughter for British visa
19 November, 2009 05:41:00 Reports


shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked


What on earth will make a man marry his daughter? That is the question many are asking a Nigerian Home Office worker who was accused of marrying his own daughter to get her a British visa.

The action already termed an ‘extraordinary scam’ is being investigated by the British Police.

According to the Daily Mail, Jelili Adesanya 54, has lived in Britain for more than 30 years and holds a British passport, but wanted his daughter, her husband and their four sons to join him from Nigeria.

It is expected she would try to remarry her real husband to get them all visas. Adesanya was accused of faking a wedding ceremony complete with a photograph of the happy "couple" which helped fool immigration officials that his daughter, Karimotu Adenike, was really his wife.

Miss Adenike, who is in her mid-30s, was duly granted permission to live in the UK.

They are waiting for her to be granted a permanent right to remain before they undergo a quiet divorce and attempt to bring the rest of her family here.

It is expected she would try to remarry her real husband to get them all visas.

But despite being tipped off two years ago, the Home Office seems to have done nothing to stop the scam by one of its workers.

Until recently, Mr Adesanya was employed as an occupational health nurse for the Home Office, working with immigration officials at Gatwick airport.

A whistleblower sent letters to the High Commission in Lagos and the UK Border Agency including specific details such as names, addresses, passport numbers and even a copy of the wedding photograph.

When there was no response, he sent emails to then Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and ministers Vernon Coaker and Phil Woolas on February 1 this year. He heard nothing.

Mr Adesanya, who came to Britain in 1976, flew back to Nigeria on May 29, 2007, and held the bogus wedding ceremony a few days later at a register office in Ikorodu, Lagos.

A source said: "They paid people to attend the wedding so that the British High Commission in Lagos would believe it was genuine. The commission then gave Karimotu Adenike a two-year settlement visa in October 2007.

"On her settlement visa application form, of course, she did not mention that she already had a husband and four children.

"The date of birth on her Nigerian passport is not her real date of birth."

Miss Adenike is believed to have aged herself by 10 years on her wedding certificate to disguise the age gap with her father.

Although her settlement visa expired in October, she is hoping to be given the right to remain.

David Burrowes, the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate and Shadow Justice Minister, was also tipped off by the whistleblower and wrote to the Home Office.

This time there was a reply, but it said that although the matter was "under investigation", no further information would be provided because it could "breach of our obligations under the Data Protection Act".

Mr Burrowes told the Mail: "I am very surprised and concerned that no action appears to have been taken, because the allegations are extremely serious."

Mr Adesanya, who lives with his daughter in Dagenham, Essex, vehemently denied the plot and said he had never been questioned about the allegations.

He said: "Married my own daughter? I have never heard anything like this in my life. I deny it. She is my wife, not my daughter."

However, asked to confirm his "wife’s’ date of birth, he said he did not know without checking her passport, and refused to allow her to speak for herself.

Unknown to him, his daughter had confirmed the arrangement when she told a friend she would shortly apply for her own British passport and "divorce daddy".

On Tuesday night Jonathan Sedgwick, from the UK Border Agency, said: "These individuals are already under investigation, and I want to make it clear that abuse of our immigration laws will not be tolerated.

"If we identify marriages which we believe are not genuine, we will challenge them and prosecute where appropriate.

"We are determined to send home any foreign nationals convicted of these types of crimes once they have served their sentences." Culled from Daily Mail

https://www.nairaland.com/1375619/more-than-80-yorubas-uk

https://www.nairaland.com/1378653/drug-rehab-syndicate-ring-blown

It is the full moon! Tribal BIG-GOATS on rampage! Mtcheeeeew!

FSU: Using false identity to travel abroad
By Kunle Adeyemi
Published: Friday, 1 Feb 2008
The craze to travel abroad by all means arguably became a noticeable fad in Nigeria about 20 years ago, when unemployed graduates, prostitutes and school drop-outs began to explore every crooked method of finding their way into western countries. Methods common to these sets of desperate youngsters include the most dehumanising stowing away system. By this, young Nigerians hide themselves in cargo compartment of ships so that they could be ferried out of the country without the knowledge of the owners of the ship. Another harrowing method of running out of the country is crossing the border on foot and escaping into any of the North African countries, especially Libya, from where they cross to Spain. Many have lost their lives in the process.


Perhaps, the most criminally-inclined method of travelling abroad is the use of another individual‘s passport in which the new, albeit fake owner of the passport bears the data identity of the original owner of the passport. In a few cases, such fraudulent people had been lucky to beat the screening machinery at foreign embassies’ entry borders and had triumphantly entered the foreign country of their choice. But most often, many others have not been so lucky. The fortunate ones among them were simply refused visas, while the unfortunate ones were arrested at the embassies and handed over to the police.

In the last one year, detectives at the Criminal Investigation Department, Lagos State Police Command, and the Special Fraud Unit, Nigeria Police, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, have prosecuted over 30 suspects for passport-related offences. An investigation by our correspondent showed that 17 of the suspects pleaded guilty and were summarily tried and convicted. However, the sentences seem not to be a sufficient deterrent for the convicts. The sentences ranged between six and 18 months imprisonment, and in most cases, with an option of fine.

The investigation further showed that sometime in 2005, a gang of armed robbers raided the Lagos home of a media executive. The executive (names withheld), who was still at work at about 8pm when the robbers struck, had his passport stolen among other valuables. The passport, seen as hot cake, had expired visas of many foreign countries. The case was reported at all the embassies concerned. Over two years after the robbery, precisely in December 2007, a 31-year-old man, Segun Amure, was arrested with the stolen passport at the British Embassy. He was processing a UK visa when he was arrested. Amure was not alone. After adopting the name, date of birth, state of origin, marital status et al, of the original owner of the passport, he was joined in a phoney marriage with a lady, Joy Alarape, so that the lady could obtain a British visa as the wife of a ‘frequent traveller.’ The lady was also arrested.

Since the stolen passport had only expired visas, the culprits needed to apply for a visa renewal before the passport could be used. However, since the case had been reported to both the police and the High Commission, it was easy to invite the culprits for an interview and arrest.

During interrogation, Amure, who is in the custody of the SFU and will soon appear in court, told our correspondent that he had been making futile attempts to emigrate since 1998. He said a passport racketeer, identified as Fola Arogundade, offered him the stolen passport and promised him a visa for a fee of N300,000. ”I never met Joy before, it was Fola who arranged everything and told me that both of us would appear at the embassy as husband and wife. After we had been given our passports, Fola gave me Joy‘s number so that I could call her. Some days before the Ileya festival, I received a call that we were to appear at the embassy for interview on January 3. I met Joy there. A security man first sent us away, but I met another man who promised to assist us. The man collected our papers and went inside. He came out about 20 minutes later and asked us to follow him in. We were asked to sit down and we waited for about four hours before a white man opened the door and asked if we were the couple intending to travel. I said yes and he just beckoned to a man standing by the door and pointed at us. The man, who we later discovered is a policeman, took us away from the embassy and that was how we found ourselves here,” Amure said.

However, after his arrest, detectives at the SFU, who were bent on getting to the root of the matter, had a Herculian task tracing the whereabouts of Arogundade, the man behind the sale of the stolen passport. At a point, the suspect was said to have travelled to London. He was also said to have been deported. After about two weeks of search, the detectives traced him to a house in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he was arrested.

Arogundade himself admitted that he had been preparing fake passports and other travel documents for desperate travellers for many years for a fee. “I do most of the paper work at Oluwole (Lagos Island‘s now demolished notorious spot for forging and counterfeiting documents). All I do is to buy an original but stolen passport, I will then take it to Oluwole where they will remove the original passport photograph and fix the fake owner‘s passport photograph. It costs me N20,000 to do that,” Arogundade said.

The suspect claimed to have bought the passport he used for Amure from one Alberto, who he said was in London and a kingpin in passport racketeering. He further linked the passport to another suspect, Abiodun Adewunmi, who is also in the SFU net. Alberto allegedly sent a telephone number to Adewunmi and asked him to call the line. The owner of the line was the one who reportedly delivered the passport to Adewunmi and the latter then handed it over to Arogundade.

Arogundade, 35, who confessed that he had no stable job, said some of the people he had procured fake travel documents for had successfully used them to travel out of the country, usually by bribing departure point officials and then pleading for assylum in Europe; while a few others had not been so lucky. Although all the suspects are still in SFU’s custody, the commissioner in charge of the police formation, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, told our correspondent that the suspects would have been charged to court two weeks ago but for some legal and administrative bottlenecks.


http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2008013111145018

Such kind of report does little to help this nation...instead it tarnishes our nations image abroad further..Do you people realize this is the web? and information here can be seen worldwide?

Hmm