Two men and a woman arraigned for visa scam in Ibadan

The Ibadan zonal office of EFCC on Thursday 30 August, 2018 arraigned Adeshina Taoheed Aderemi, Adekoya Abosede and Ishola Abiodun Kazeem before Justice R. B. Akintola of the

High Court of Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan, on seven-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false pretence.

The syndicate journey to the dock followed a petition to the Commission from their victim (name withheld) alleging that sometime in 2018, he paid the sum of N695, 000.00 (Six Hundred and Ninety Five Thousand Naira) to the defendants through the first defendant’s (Mr. Adeshina Taoheed Aderemi) bank account domiciled in one of the new generation banks (name withheld) for them to secure a Canadian Visa for him. 

According to the petitioner, the defendants conspired and issued him a “Canadian Visa” affixed to his International Passport. 

Investigation by the EFCC confirmed that neither of the defendants were travels agents and that the “Canadian Visa” issued to the complainant was confirmed to be fake. The defendants however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

In view of their plea, counsel to the EFCC, Dr. Ben Ubi, applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody. However, defense counsel, Samuel C. Uzoewulu, informed the court that he had filed two summons for bail dated 29 August, 2018 for the second and third defendants but served on the prosecution this morning.

He also prayed the court to allow the second defendant remain in the EFCC’s custody pending the hearing of her bail application due to the circumstance that she is pregnant. However, Dr. Ubi told the court that the fact of the second defendant’s pregnancy is not within his knowledge but that he will not be objecting due to the said condition.

Justice Akintola however, adjourned the matter to September 4, 2018 for hearing of bail applications.

Meanwhile, the first and third defendants shall be remanded at the Federal Prison, Agodi, while the second defendant shall be remanded at the EFCC’s custody pending the hearing of their applications.

One of the Count Charge reads: "Adeshina Taoheed Aderemi, Adekoya Abosede, Ishola Abiodun Kazeem and Odejobi Yussuf Olatunji (at large) sometimes in 2018 at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division with intent to defraud and obtain N250,000.00 from Adesina Idowu falsely pretending that it was the cost price of Canadian Visa you have secured for him and thereby committed an offence".