Taiwan Consulate officials arrest three Nigerians with fake documents

By Paul Iyoghojie

Officials of the Taiwan Consulate office, Ikoyi, Lagos have arrested three Nigerians for allegedly presenting forged documents to them to obtain Taiwan visa knowing full well that the documents were fake.

A Police source said that following the incident, the embassy officials notified the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, Ikoyi, Lagos about the arrest and he deployed his team led by DSP Lawal Audu in charge of the diplomatic desk at the unit to the embassy to arrest the suspects.

While one of the suspect, Joseph Otisi, 29 was charged before Chief Magistrate Folashade Bototu in charge No B/19/2020, other suspects, Chukwu Emeka Micheal Ezedinachi and Nosiru Mohammed Oladimeji were arraigned before Magistrate T.B Are on three count charges of forgery.

Police Counsel, ASP Wewe Adegbayi told the court that the accused persons committed the offence in March 2020 at the Taiwan Embassy at 23A Thompson Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Adegbayi informed the court that Otisi forged Society General, Benin Statement of account No 0/0099199946-46 and submitted it to the embassy to obtain Taiwan Embassy while Ezedinachi and Oladimeji presented forged Nigeria International Passport with NO A10777 459, having false and counterfeit Schengen visa with entry and exit stamp at the data pages to the embassy to obtain visa.

He said that nemesis caught up with the accused persons when the embassy officials after perusing the documents discovered that they were fake and that they apprehended them and handed them over to the Police.

Adegbayi said the offences committed were punishable under sections 409,364 (i), 363 (7) of the criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail.

While Botoku adjourned the case till 16 May for mention, Magistrate Are adjourned till 17th May, 2020 for mention.