33-year-old woman arrested over alleged N42.3m visa fraud

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested a 33-year-old woman, Adejoke Ayomide, for allegedly defrauding more than 90 people through a fake visa processing scheme.

The suspect, who resides on Adesoye Street in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was arrested following a petition filed by the law firm of Akindayomi Oluwa Tobi & Associates.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command, Abayomi Jimoh, the suspect allegedly collected a total of ₦42,326,000 from victims under the pretext of securing travel visas to Europe.

Jimoh said Ayomide became unreachable after receiving the payments, prompting the victims to report the matter to the police.

He disclosed that the command tracked and arrested the suspect on Wednesday.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect presented herself as a travel consultant capable of securing visas to Spain, Portugal, and France.

“Acting on these representations, the victims entrusted her with processing travel documents for more than ninety-three intending travelers. The suspect allegedly received a cumulative sum of ₦42,326,000.00 through her Opay account for the purported visa processing.

“The suspect is currently in police custody, where she has made useful confessional statements. Efforts are ongoing to unravel the full scope of the alleged fraudulent scheme, identify possible accomplices, and establish whether there are additional victims. Upon the conclusion of investigations, the suspect will be charged to court accordingly,” Jimoh said.