The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three suspects 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 services valued at about N30 million.
The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, identifying the defendants as Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo, Awotunde Olugbenga and Idowu Olugbemi Sunday. The cases were prosecuted by the commission’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate before Justice Olusola Adetujoye.
Motunrayo and Olugbenga were jointly charged with 47 counts involving alleged fraud of N23.4 million. The EFCC alleged that they presented themselves as travel and immigration agents operating from Abuja and collected millions of naira from clients after promising to facilitate Canadian visas and related travel arrangements.
According to the commission, the defendants allegedly obtained N12.36 million from Oluwatobi Adeoluwa Iyanda and N11.03 million from Oyewale Tunji Bello. They were also accused of forging Canadian visa documents and presenting them to their alleged victims as genuine.
One of the charges alleged that the defendants obtained N527,000 from Iyanda after falsely claiming they would secure a valid Canadian visa and flight ticket for him. Another alleged that they forged a Canadian visa dated June 20, 2025, bearing Travel Document Number B011745448 in Iyanda’s name.
The two defendants pleaded not guilty.
EFCC counsel, Mohammed Abideen, urged the court to remand them in custody pending trial, while their counsel, Jimoh Wasiu, applied for bail, informing the court that bail applications had already been filed.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the matter until August 26, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan.
In a separate case, the EFCC arraigned Idowu Olugbemi Sunday on a four-count charge over an alleged N6.65 million fraud involving purported Canadian visa arrangements for Okanlawon Tunji Ajao and members of his family.
The commission alleged that between June 2025 and January 2026, Sunday obtained N6.65 million from Ajao after falsely representing that he could secure Canadian visas for the family. He was also accused of forgery and uttering of documents.
Sunday pleaded not guilty to the charges.
EFCC counsel, Lanre Suleiman, asked the court to remand the defendant pending trial, while his lawyer, Tiwalade Shittu, urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.
Justice Adetujoye equally adjourned the case until August 26 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Sunday be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
The cases underscore growing scrutiny of fraudulent immigration and visa schemes targeting Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad.
