Police arrest 33-year-old woman for alleged ₦42.3m visa fraud in Ondo Law enforcement authorities in Ondo State have arrested a 33-year-old woman, Adejoke Ayomide, for allegedly defrauding over 90 individuals of a total of ₦42.3 million. The suspect, a resident of Adesoye Street, Abeokuta, Ogun State, is accused of deceiving victims by falsely claiming she could facilitate travel visas to European countries such as Spain, Portugal, and France. The arrest followed a petition filed by Barrister Akindayomi Oluwa Tobi & Associates on July 17, 2026, alleging that the suspect had defrauded clients between October 2024 and April 5, 2026. According to police sources, Ayomide presented herself as a travel consultant and lured victims with promises of securing European visas. The victims, trusting her claims, entrusted her with processing travel documents for more than 93 intending travelers. The suspect allegedly received a cumulative amount of ₦42,326,000.00 through her Opay account for the purported visa processing. Instead of fulfilling her obligations, she allegedly became unreachable after receiving the funds, prompting the victims to file a formal complaint with the police. Detectives of the Ondo State Police Command traced the suspect through intelligence gathering and forensic techniques. Following sustained intelligence-led operations, the suspect was successfully located and apprehended on August 5, 2026, in a coordinated operation by detectives of the Command. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, confirmed that the suspect is currently in custody and has made useful confessional statements. Efforts are ongoing to uncover the full scope of the alleged fraudulent scheme, identify possible accomplices, and determine if there are additional victims. Upon completion of the investigation, the suspect will be charged in court accordingly. Abayomi urged members of the public to verify the credentials of travel agents before making payments. He emphasized the importance of exercising due diligence and reporting any suspicious or fraudulent activities to the nearest police station. The Ondo State Police Command reiterated its commitment to protecting residents from fraud and other criminal activities. Similar incidents involving fraud have occurred in other parts of the country. In Borno State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently arrested a man, Nuhu Dahiru, for allegedly impersonating an EFCC operative and defrauding members of the public of N3 million. The suspect was apprehended in Tashan Bama, along Bama Road, Maiduguri, after credible intelligence revealed his fraudulent activities. The EFCC recovered N3 million from him and stated that he would be charged in court after the conclusion of the investigation. The use of fake EFCC identities by criminals is not new. In 2024, the police in Niger State arrested five individuals who allegedly posed as EFCC officials and abducted two students from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai. The suspects used fake EFCC identity cards obtained from a shop in Nyanya, Abuja. They were eventually apprehended after being tracked by police following reports from concerned students. Similarly, in Lagos in 2019, a 29-year-old man named Emeka Emmanuel was arrested for posing as an EFCC operative and defrauding people with promises of securing jobs at the commission. In Ekiti State, the police have also taken action against a group of fraudsters specializing in ATM card theft and fraud. Three suspects, including Timilehin Akinola, Ojo Peter, and Ademola Akinware, were arrested following credible intelligence about their presence at the ATM gallery of Wema Bank, Okesa Branch, Ado Ekiti. The suspects were intercepted after fleeing on a TVS motorcycle and were found with 16 ATM cards belonging to different banks and individuals. Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspects specialized in hijacking and swapping ATM cards from unsuspecting members of the public, using the cards to withdraw funds fraudulently from victims' bank accounts. Additionally, in Ogun State, a man known as Pastor Kenny, Kehinde Makinde, was arrested for allegedly defrauding 18 fellowship members of ₦2.5 million under the false pretense of organizing a government-sponsored pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The suspect was arrested after four months of sustained surveillance by the Ogun State Police Command. His arrest followed allegations that he manipulated unsuspecting victims under the guise of spiritual deliverance across Ogun, Oyo, and Osun states. The suspect remains in police custody as investigators work to identify additional victims and apprehend his accomplices. Meanwhile, in Ogun State, the police also raided a residential building and arrested 23 foreign nationals in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme and visa scam in the Ota area. The suspects were apprehended on August 4, 2026, following credible intelligence about fraudulent activities at the location. After preliminary investigation, 21 of the suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further immigration-related investigation and appropriate action. Two suspects were retained by the police for prosecution in connection with Obtaining by False Pretence (OBT) and other related offenses. The investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fraudulent activities and identify any other persons connected with the scheme.
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