Man Docked For Alleged ₦60 Million Visa Fraud In Lagos

Officers of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday arraigned a man, Israel Onen, before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged ₦60 million visa racketeering scheme.

Onen was docked before Justice Ibrahim Kala on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, fraud and stealing.

The charges were preferred against him by the police in a suit marked FHC/L/1203C/2025.

During the arraignment, the prosecutor told the court that the defendant conspired with others, now at large, between 2024 and 2025 to defraud the complainant, Akinola Ayodele Emmanuel.

According to the prosecution, Onen allegedly “fraudulently obtained the sum of N60m under the pretence of procuring Ireland and Schengen countries’ visas” for the complainant’s clients.

“The visas were never procured, and the money was not returned,” the prosecutor added.

The police further told the court that the alleged offences contravened provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, as well as the Criminal Code.

When the charges were read to him, Onen pleaded not guilty.

Following the plea, the prosecutor asked the court to fix a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded in police custody.

“We are asking that the defendant be remanded in the custody of Zone 2 Command because there are several complaints against him,” the prosecutor said.

However, defence counsel, O. Ogu, opposed the application for remand and urged the court to grant the defendant bail.

“We have filed and served our bail application on the prosecution, and we pray the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms,” Ogu told the court.

In his ruling, Justice Kala granted the defendant bail in the sum of ₦60 million with one surety in like sum.

The judge ordered that “the surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 13 or a landed property owner with property valued at ₦60 million.”

Justice Kala further directed that the defendant and his surety should each deposit two passport photographs, their National Identification Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers, bank account details and phone numbers used for receiving alerts.

“The court registrar and the prosecutor are to participate in the verification of the bail conditions,” the judge ruled.

He adjourned the case to February 12, 2026, for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, pending the perfection of his bail conditions.