26th May, 2024
By Paul Iyoghojie
A suspected fake visa agent, Temnam Lamfa, 28, has been arrested by the Police at the Zone 2 Command, Lagos and charged before a Lagos Magistrate’s court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N100m from a businesswoman, Sebiotiman Azeez under false pretence.
Police alleged that the defendant collected the money from the complainant with the pretext of using the money to procure visas for the complainant’s clients to travel to the United Kingdom, but that the defendant failed to provide the visas for the complainant and instead converted the money to his personal use and fled.
Police further alleged that following the unpleasant development, the complainant petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos AIG Durosimi Olatoye who swiftly directed his crack team to fish out the suspect anywhere he might be hiding.
The Police team tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
After an investigation by ASP Amoo Olatonmide and team, the defendant was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, stealing and conducts likely to cause breach of peace.
Police prosecuting Counsel, ASP Francis Igbinosa told the Court in the charge marked M/15/2024 that the defendant committed the offence on 1 April and 3 May 2023 at 1, Sebiotima Street, Aiyetoro, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
Igbinosa informed the court that the defendant tricked the complainant and collected the money from her to procure visas for her clients to travel to the UK, but that the defendant instead converted the money to his use and escaped before he was arrested through intelligence gathering and tracking.
He said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sections 411, 314, 287 and 168(1)(4) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant,however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate, Mrs Gbajumo Ayoku granted him N1m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Ayoku adjourned the case till 10 June 2024 for mention and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till he perfected the bail conditions