11th March, 2019
Paul Iyoghojie
A 55-year old businessman, Yinka Nasiru Bello has been sentenced to one year imprisonment with hard labour for presenting fake Schengen Visa to officials at the American Embassy in Lagos to process travelling documents.
The convict was jailed by Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku in charge of Court 2 at the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos after the convict pleaded guilty to the two counts of conspiracy and forgery preferred against him by the Police at the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU at Ikoyi, Lagos.
Botoku however gave the convict an option of N100,000 fine which the relatives of the convict quickly raised and paid into the Lagos State Government account before the convict was released to go home.
Police alleged that trouble started for the convict on 12 February, 2019 when he procured a fake Schengen Visa and handed it over to his client to go and present it to the American Embassy officials to process his travelling documents.
Investigation revealed that during the scanning of the Visa, the Embassy officials discovered that the Visa was fake and they arrested the suspect and handed him over to the Police.
During interrogation, according to the Police, the suspect confessed to the Police that Bello procured the Visa for him for a fee and he led the Police to arrest Bello.
Bello was charged to Court on a two-count charge of procuring a forged Schengen Visa and presenting same to American Embassy officials in charge No B/18/2019 with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of American Embassy.
The convict pleaded guilty to the charges in the open and Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku subsequently sentenced him to one year imprisonment with hard labour with an option of N100.000 fine which the convict quickly paid and go home.