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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Ondo woman arrested for defrauding 93 visa seekers N42.3m

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Under investigation
  • A 33-year-old woman, Adejoke Ayomide, has been arrested in Ondo State for allegedly defrauding over 90 individuals of N42.3 million in a visa scam.
  • She posed as a travel consultant, promising visas to Spain, Portugal, and France, but became unreachable after receiving payments.
  • The arrest followed a petition by a law firm, and police are investigating to identify accomplices and any further victims.

Ondo State Police Command has apprehended Adejoke Ayomide, a 33-year-old woman accused of orchestrating a significant visa scam that defrauded over 90 aspiring travelers of N42.3 million. Ayomide allegedly operated as a travel consultant, promising to secure visas for Spain, Portugal, and France.

The suspect, residing in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was arrested after a law firm, Akindayomi Oluwa Tobi & Associates, filed a petition with the police. According to the police spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, Ayomide received substantial sums through her OPay account from victims seeking European travel documents. After collecting the payments, she reportedly became unreachable, prompting the victims to seek police intervention.

The suspect presented herself as a travel consultant capable of securing visas to Spain, Portugal, and France.

— DSP Abayomi JimohDescribing the modus operandi of the suspect in the visa scam.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Ayomide received N42,326,000 under the pretense of processing travel documents. The police have confirmed that Ayomide is in custody and has provided useful statements. Efforts are currently underway to identify any potential accomplices and to determine if more individuals have fallen victim to the scam.

Ayomide is expected to face charges in court once the investigation is complete. This incident follows a similar case reported in November, where a woman in Ogun State was arrested for defrauding three people of N8.5 million in a fake Canadian work visa scheme, highlighting a persistent issue with travel and visa scams.

Acting on these representations, the victims entrusted her with processing travel documents for more than 93 intending travellers.

— DSP Abayomi JimohDetailing the extent of the victims' trust in the accused.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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