EFCC apprehends travel agent over alleged N4.2m visa scam

Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kaduna State have apprehended one Mrs Mary Aweh Olaleye, the promoter of Victoria Travels Resorts Limited, for allegedly obtaining N4,240,000 from two prospective travellers by false pretences.

A statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, stated that Olaleye obtained the sum from Tochukwu Asika and Daniel Alabi on the grounds of acquiring Canadian visas and making other travel preparations for them.

The statement partly read, “The complainants alleged that sometime in 2018, they contacted the suspect to arrange a trip to the Turks and Caicos islands for them, for which they paid him the sum of N1m each.

“Two days to their departure, the suspect allegedly informed them that the trip had been put on hold and offered them an alternative of visas to Canada, which they accepted and paid a cumulative sum of N4,240,000 for the visas, consultancy fee and air tickets.

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

“Upon their 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.”

Uwujaren further said that the victims turned to the EFCC when all efforts to recover their money failed, stating that the suspect ignored several invitations by the Kaduna office of the Commission until a lien was placed on her account.

She was later arrested at her bank in Abuja and brought back to Kaduna for more investigation.

In accordance with the statement, the suspect will be charged as soon as investigation into the case is completed.