Three People Face Charges for Visa Fraud in Oyo

The Ibadan office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has brought Motunrayo Emmanuel, Awotunde Olugbenga, and Idowu Sunday before Justice Olusola Adetujoye at the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan.

Emmanuel and Olugbenga are facing 47 charges related to forgery, false documents, and taking money by deception, totaling N23,404,600.

This information was shared in a statement by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC's Head of Media and Publicity, on Thursday in Ibadan.

One of the charges states, “That you, Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo ‘F’ and Awotunde Olugbenga ‘M’ on or about 1st March, 2025 at Ibadan, Oyo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N527,000.00 (Five Hundred and Twenty-Seven Thousand Naira) only from Oluwatobi Adeoluwa Iyanda by falsely representing to him that you will secure a valid Canadian visa and flight ticket, which pretenses you knew to be false, thereby committed an offence of Obtaining Money by False Pretense, an offence contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

Another charge states, “That you, Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo ‘F’ and Awotunde Olugbenga ‘M’ sometimes in 2025, at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make a false document to wit: Canadian Visa dated 20th day of June, 2025 with Travel Doc. No. B011745448 in the name of Iyanda Oluwatobi Adeoluwa, which is purported to have been issued by the Government of Canada, thereby committed an offence of Forgery contrary to Section 465 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation Nigeria, 2004.”

Another charge reads, “That you, Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo ‘F’ and Awotunde Olugbenga ‘M’ sometimes in 2025, at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently uttered a false document to wit: Canadian Visa dated 6th day of July 2025 with Travel Doc. No. B50125702 in the name of Oyewale Tunji Bello purported to have been issued by the Government of Canada with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, thereby committed an offence of Uttering contrary to Section 468 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation Nigeria, 2004.”

The accused pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. The prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abideen, requested a trial date and asked that the defendants be kept at a Correctional Centre.

The defendants' lawyer, Jimoh Wasiu, told the court that they have applied for bail. He asked the court to grant bail for his clients while waiting for the case to be heard.

Justice Adetujoye then postponed the hearing to August 26, 2026, for the bail application and ordered the defendants to be taken to Agodi Correctional Centre.

The accused began their journey to the Correctional Centre after they approached their victims, Oluwatobi Adeoluwa Iyanda and Oyewale Tunji Bello, claiming to be travel and immigration agents from Abuja. They promised to help the victims get Canadian visas and make other travel plans.

The defendants collected N12,368,100.00 from Iyanda and N11,036,500.00 from Bello but failed to deliver on their promises.

On August 17, 2026, the Ibadan office of the EFCC also brought Idowu Olugbemi Sunday before Justice Olusola Adetujoye for defrauding his victim, Okanlawon Tunji Ajao. Sunday is accused of taking N6,650,000.00 under the pretense of securing a Canadian visa for him and his family.

Sunday is facing four charges related to forgery, false documents, and obtaining money by deception.

One of the charges states: “That you, Idowu Olugbemi Sunday between June, 2025 and January, 2026 at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the total sum of N6,650,000.00 (Six Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from Okanlawon Tunji Ajao by falsely representing to him that you will secure a Canadian Visa for him and his family, which pretence you knew to be false, thereby committed an offence of Obtaining Money by False Pretence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

After his plea, prosecution counsel, Lanre Suleiman, asked the court to set a trial date and remand the defendant in a Correctional Center.

The defendant's lawyer, Tiwalade Shittu, informed the court about a motion for bail on easy terms.

Justice Adetujoye listened to both sides and postponed the matter until August 26, 2026, for the bail application hearing and ordered the defendant to be held at Agodi Correctional Centre.