US consulate blows whistle on three desperate Nigerians

Juliana Francis

The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) has arrested one Raji Oluseyi Michael, who apparently desperate to leave the Nigerian soil in search of greener pastures in US forged a visa. The arrest of Michael also led to the arrest of two other suspected visa racketeers.

A petition from the Regional Security Office of the United States Consulate General in Lagos dated November 12, 2013 addressed to the Commissioner of Police, SFU; Tunde Ogunsakin alleged that Michael, 32, was invited for a U.S. non-immigrant visa interview at U.S. Consulate.

According to the petition, at the interview, Michael presented a Nigerian passport No. A04910344 in support of his application and on examination, a U.K. visa in Raji’s passport revealed indications that the visa was forged.

The Unit spokesperson, Ngozi Isintume-Agu explained that as soon as the petition was received, SFU detectives swung into action and arrested Michael.

She said Michael is an HND holder, who studied Purchasing and Supply at the Kwara State Polytechnic.

“He feigned ignorance of the fake visa on his passport and confessed that the visa was given to him by one Mr. Popoola who resides in Ibadan for the sum of N500, 000.00,” said Isintume-Agu.

Adding, “But he had paid only N200, 000.00 to balance N300, 000.00 at the end of his interview with the U.S. embassy.  He also stated that Mr. Popoola sent Mr. Adegoke to accompany him to the embassy to find out if the visa was issued and that it was one Mr. Ayodeji who currently resides in U.K. that introduced Mr. Popoola to him. 

“Further investigation led to the arrest of Mr. Popoola Oladimeji and Adegoke Johnson.  Popoola Oladimeji is a forged document vendor. He is a 48-year old man from Igboho, Oyo State.  He admitted that Raji Oluseyi approached him to procure a U.S. visa and that he collected his passport and the sum of N200, 000.00. 

“He further confessed that he contracted one Taiwo Akande in Oluwole, Lagos who procured the six months U.K. visit visa and Holland visa for N115, 000 respectively.

“He also said that the total money spent to procure the two visas was N280,000.00 and that he paid additional N50,000.00 and that it took Mr. Taiwo one week to get the visas which was delivered to him at Molete, Ibadan through a public transport.” 

Isintume-Agu said that Oladimeji admitted that Taiwo whom he knew as visa agent had assisted him in the past, adding that one of his friends, whom he procured visa for is currently residing in the United Kingdom.

According to the image maker, the suspect also gave a fake I.D. card of Ibadan South West Local Government to Raji and admitted that he had no link with any LGA that the fake I.D. card was procured with the assistance of one Kayode who is currently on the run, having gotten wind of Oladimeji’s arrest.

“Adegoke Johnson is a 47-year old from Ibadan and a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.  According to him, he used to assists people with genuine documents to procure visa and also serves as an errand boy to Mr. Popoola Oladimeji.  He admitted that he was sent by Mr. Popoola to accompany Raji Oluseyi to the U.S. embassy in order to collect the visa slip as soon as the visa was issued.  He denied being a party to the issuance of the fake U.K. visa found on Raji Oluseyi’s passport by the U.S. Consulate. Investigation is on-going; effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects.  All the arrested suspects will be arraigned in court soonest,” said Isintume-Agu.