Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have apprehended a 33-year-old woman, Adejoke Ayomide, for allegedly defrauding 93 visa applicants of N42.3 million in a fake travel scheme.
The Punch reported that the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Thursday, explaining that the suspect allegedly deceived victims by claiming she could facilitate visas to Spain, Portugal and France.
According to Jimoh, Ayomide, who lives on Adesoye Street in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was arrested after a petition was filed by the law firm, Akindayomi Oluwa Tobi & Associates, on behalf of the victims.
Police investigations indicate that the suspect allegedly received N42,326,000 through her OPay account from people seeking visa processing for European countries before allegedly cutting off communication with them.
“The suspect presented herself as a travel consultant capable of securing visas to Spain, Portugal, and France.
“Acting on these representations, the victims entrusted her with processing travel documents for more than 93 intending travellers,” Jimoh said.
He noted that preliminary findings showed the money was collected under the pretext of processing the travel documents.
The police spokesperson added that the suspect remains in custody and has made useful statements to investigators. He said efforts are ongoing to identify possible accomplices and determine whether more victims were affected by the alleged fraud.
Jimoh said Ayomide would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of the investigation.
The incident comes months after a similar case reported by The Punch, in which the Ogun State Police Command arrested a woman, Elizabeth Thamson, for allegedly obtaining N8.5 million from three people under the guise of securing Canadian work visas.
Following that arrest, the command warned residents to be vigilant against the growing trend of online fraud, including fake travel agencies, visa scams, bogus dating platforms and other schemes used to swindle unsuspecting members of the public.
