By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Two alleged visa racketeers, a 61-year-old Odunayo Olaniyi Rasheed and 39-year-old Abraham Ebaluegbeifo Osagie were arraigned before a Tinubu Chief Magistrate’s Court Lagos over charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretence the sum of N20 million.
The two defendants were arraigned before Chief Magistrate B. A. Sonuga, by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID) Annex, Alagbon Ikoyi Lagos.
According to the charge filed by the prosecutor S. A. Ogala, the defendants allegedly defrauded the duo of Kingsley Ugochukwu Chinedu, Chigozie Raymond Inno and other victims, of the sum of N20 million, under the false pretence of procuring United Kingdom Visa for them
Ogala told the court that the two defendants and others at large committed the fraud sometimes in October 2023, at the premises of United Kingdom Embassy, Lagos.
The prosecutor submitted before the court that the defendants perpetrated their unlawful acts with some forged documents which they used in convincing their victims.
According to the charge, the illegal acts of the defendants contravened Sections 411; 356(1) and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. and punishable under the same Laws.
After listening to the charge preferred against them, the two defendants, Odunayo and Abraham, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the three counts charge levelled against them.
Upon their not guilty plea to the charge, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date. He also urged the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), pending the determination of the matter.
But the defendants through their defence counsel orally applied for bail, on the ground that they are first time offenders and the charges against them are bailable offence.
Based on the defence counsel submission, Chief Magistrate Sonuga admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties each.
The Chief magistrate also ordered that each of the sureties must be residing within the court’s jurisdiction, with evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government, amongst other conditions.
While adjourning the matter to October 16, 2024 for mention, Chief Magistrate Sonuga ordered that the two defendants be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The charges against the defendants read: “That you, Odunayo Olaniyi Rasheed and Abraham Ebaluegbeifo Osagie and others now at large, sometimes in October 2023, at the United Kingdom Embassy, Lagos State, within the Magisterial District of this honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to wit: forgery and obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
“That you Odunayo Olaniyi Rasheed and Abraham Ebaluegbeifo Osagie and others now at large, sometimes in October 2023, at the United Kingdom Embassy, Lagos State, within the Magisterial District of this honourable Court, did forged documents in support of some Nigerians who intend to visit/travel to United Kingdom and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 356(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
“That you Odunayo Olaniyi Rasheed and Abraham Ebaluegbeifo Osagie and others now at large, sometimes in October 2023, at United Kingdom Embassy, Lagos State, within the Magisterial District of this honourable court, did fraudulently obtained the sum of N20, 000, 000 (Twenty Five Million Naira) from one Kingsley Ugochukwu Chinedu, Chigozie Raymond Inno, and others under the pretence that you will provide a valid United Kingdom Visa, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
