'Fraudster!' EFCC apprehends travel agent over N8.4m Canadian visa scam

The Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested one Mary Aweh Olaleye, identified as a travel agent, for her alleged involvement in defrauding two Nigerians of N8.4 million.

According to a statement by the anti-graft agency on Monday, the said travel agent had obtained the sum from Tochukwu Asika and Monday Alabi, under the pretext of securing visas to Canada for them.

The commission explained that the arrangement dated back to 2018, when the duo reportedly approached Olaleye to arrange a trip.

The trip was, however, said to have been suspended, and Olaleye reportedly offered to convert the arrangement to securing visas for Asika and Alabi.

“The complainants alleged that sometime in 2018, they contacted the suspect to arrange a trip to Turks and Caicos Islands for them, for which they paid him the sum of One Million naira (N1,000,000,00) each, totaling Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00),” the statement reads.

“Two days to their departure, the suspect allegedly informed them that the trip had been put on hold and offered them an alternative; a visa to Canada which they accepted and paid a cumulative sum of Four Million Two Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira (N4,240,000.00) respectively, for visa, consultancy fee and air tickets.

“The complainants further stated that after a long hiatus, the suspect called and issued them the Canadian visa and Yellow Fever cards, and informed them they will be travelling through Kenya. However, upon arrival in Kenya, they were arrested by Kenyan Immigration Officials for possession of fake Yellow Fever cards and detained.

“Upon, release from detention after being issued with new Yellow Fever cards, the duo made spirited efforts to contact the suspect to get her Kenyan Representative to assist them with the connecting flight to Canada but could not reach her as she had switched off her mobile lines. The complainants were later re-arrested by Kenyan Immigration and deported to Nigeria.

“All efforts to retrieve their money proved abortive, hence the recourse to EFCC.”

The commission added that Olaleye failed to respond to several invitations by the EFCC, “until a lien was placed on her account”.

“She was subsequently arrested at her bank in Abuja and brought back to Kaduna for further investigation. She would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded,” EFCC added.