A 40-year-old man, Timothy Atolagbe, has been arraigned before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Iba for allegedly defrauding a victim of N9,879,928 under the false pretense of procuring a Canadian study visa.
Atolagbe faces four counts of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretense, and forgery, as presented by the police prosecutor, Inspector Chinedu Njoku.
The offences were allegedly committed between July 2023 and June 2024, with the incident taking place in Ajangbadi, a suburb of Lagos State.
Details of the Fraud
Inspector Njoku explained that Atolagbe, along with others still at large, conspired to deceive a prospective student, Damilola Michael, by promising to facilitate a Canadian study visa.
Atolagbe allegedly forged documents from CBBC Career College, Canada, to obtain money from Michael.
Additionally, Atolagbe is accused of obtaining N150,000 from Durosimi Adeola under the false pretense of facilitating employment.
Court Proceedings
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. Magistrate D. S. Odukoya granted bail at N4 million with two sureties in like sum, requiring verification of tax payments and addresses.
The case has been adjourned until January 17, 2025, for further mention.
Court Sentences Man to 68 Years in Prison
Legit.ng earlier reported that an American businessman, Marco Antonio Ramirez, has been sentenced to 68 years in prison for orchestrating a $1.6 million visa fraud scheme.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, comes after a drawn-out legal battle that involved two separate cases prosecuted by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ramirez, who ran multiple businesses, including USA NOW LLC and USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, defrauded his victims under the guise of securing U.S. visas through the EB-5 investor program.
