Suspected visa racketeer arraigned

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik has adjourned a case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against an accused person, Yomi Samson, docked for visa racketeering and other offences, till March 25, 2019 for further hearing. Samson was arraigned on a three-count charge of possessing fake documents, obtaining money under false pretence and misleading an […]

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik has adjourned a case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against an accused person, Yomi Samson, docked for visa racketeering and other offences, till March 25, 2019 for further hearing.

Samson was arraigned on a three-count charge of possessing fake documents, obtaining money under false pretence and misleading an officer of the EFCC.

Samson, alias Becky Wellington, was dragged before the court by officers of the Commission after interrogating him, based on a petition from one of his victims.

One of the counts against the accused, as contained in the document before the court, read that he (a.k.a Becky Wellinghton, a.k.a Amanda Luccero) sometime in 2019, in Ibadan, with intent to mislead, knowingly made a false statement wherein he lied to an EFCC officer about his age.

Another count read that sometime in 2019, in Ibadan, with intent to defraud, obtained a total sum of N45,000 from one Chris, falsely representing to him that the money was for visa clarifications, a representation he allegedly knew to be false.

Samson initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but later opted to enter into a plea bargain with the EFCC, prompting his lawyer, Kehinde Olawumi, to ask the court for a date for the final decision, rather

than go for full trial.

The EFCC’s counsel, Shamsudden Bashir, who had earlier applied for a trial date, also prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to March 25, 2019 for hearing of plea bargain and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison pending the determination of his case.