Police arrest 4 in N500m visa scam involving over 100 victims

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with an alleged visa scam that defrauded more than 100 Nigerians of approximately N500 million. The suspects have been identified as Blessing Wefsutu, Chinenye Christian, Archibong Udeme Ifereke, and Maurine Peter. In a statement on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspects […]

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with an alleged visa scam that defrauded more than 100 Nigerians of approximately N500 million.

The suspects have been identified as Blessing Wefsutu, Chinenye Christian, Archibong Udeme Ifereke, and Maurine Peter.

In a statement on Wednesday, the command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspects are employees of an educational consultancy located in the Ago Okota area of Lagos.

“The case, which was initially reported at the Ago Okota Division, was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for further investigation.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects, all staff members of the consultancy, fraudulently obtained a total of N500 million from over 100 unsuspecting victims under the false promise of securing Canadian and Australian work visas,” Hundeyin said.

He said additional members of the syndicate are still at large, but efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend them.

Efforts are underway to bring all involved to justice upon the conclusion of the investigation, Hundeyin added.

Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, advised the public to conduct due diligence and verify the legitimacy of travel and recruitment agencies before engaging in any visa-related transactions.

He warned that fraudsters are increasingly taking advantage of Nigerians’ desire to seek better opportunities abroad and urged citizens to confirm the credibility of such organisations before committing funds.