By Adeola Badru
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three persons before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over alleged forgery, uttering of documents and obtaining money by false pretence in connection with purported Canadian visa and travel arrangements valued at about N30 million.
The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, disclosed the arraignments in a statement issued on Thursday, saying the suspects, Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo, Awotunde Olugbenga and Idowu Olugbemi Sunday, were separately arraigned by the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC before Justice Olusola Adetujoye.
Motunrayo and Olugbenga faced a 47-count charge involving alleged fraud totalling N23.4 million, with the anti-graft agency accusing them of presenting themselves to unsuspecting victims as travel and immigration agents operating from Abuja.
According to the EFCC, the duo allegedly promised to facilitate Canadian visas and other travel arrangements for their victims but failed to fulfil the promises after collecting millions of naira.
The commission alleged that the defendants received N12.36 million from Oluwatobi Adeoluwa Iyanda and another N11.03 million from Oyewale Tunji Bello in connection with the purported visa arrangements.
The charges further alleged that the defendants forged Canadian visa documents purportedly issued by the Canadian government and subsequently presented the documents to their victims as genuine.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that the defendants obtained N527,000 from Iyanda after falsely representing that they would secure a valid Canadian visa and flight ticket for him.
Another count accused them of forging a Canadian visa dated June 20, 2025, bearing Travel Document Number B011745448 and issued in Iyanda’s name.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following their pleas, EFCC counsel, Mohammed Abideen, urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
However, their counsel, Jimoh Wasiu, told the court that bail applications had already been filed and urged the judge to grant the defendants bail pending the determination of the case.
Justice Adetujoye subsequently adjourned the matter until August 26, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the two defendants be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan.
In a separate case, the EFCC arraigned Idowu Olugbemi Sunday before Justice Adetujoye over the alleged N6.65 million fraud involving a purported promise to secure Canadian visas for Okanlawon Tunji Ajao and members of his family.
Sunday was brought before the court on a four-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering of documents and obtaining money by false pretence.
The EFCC alleged that between June 2025 and January 2026, the defendant obtained N6.65 million from Ajao after falsely representing that he had the capacity to secure Canadian visas for the victim and his family.
The defendant also pleaded not guilty to the charges.
EFCC counsel, Lanre Suleiman, thereafter asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional centre and fix a date for trial.
Defence counsel, Tiwalade Shittu, informed the court that a bail application had been filed and appealed to the judge to grant his client bail on liberal terms.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the case until August 26 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Sunday be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
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