Alleged Visa Fraud: Police Amend Charges, Add Criminal Breach of Trust

By Vivian Okejeme

The prosecution in the ongoing criminal trial of a travel agent, Waliyu Aderibigbe Shitta, and his firm, Fanzine Educational Consult, has filed an amended three-count charge against the defendants, adding a new count of criminal breach of trust.

The police are prosecuting Shitta over allegations that he fraudulently used the personal details and documents of a United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Emmanuel Opeyemi Makinde, to arrange a fictitious marriage between Makinde and one Miss Dolapo Afusat Yusuf to facilitate her travel to the UK without Makinde’s knowledge or consent.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, M. D. Owolabi, Makinde maintained under oath that he had never met or married Yusuf. He also told the court that he had expressly instructed the travel agent not to include any dependant in his visa application.

He stated that the unauthorised inclusion of Yusuf led to the cancellation of his UK visa on October 11, 2024, prompting him to report the alleged fraud to the UK Metropolitan Police, Action Fraud, UK Border Force and the Nigeria Police.

Makinde further informed the court that Yusuf had also been formally reported to the Nigeria Police and was the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation alongside the principal defendants.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution filed an amended three-count charge, introducing a new count of criminal breach of trust.

Count one alleges that Shitta, Fanzine Educational Consult and Yusuf, who is currently at large, conspired in January 2022, within the jurisdiction of the court, to commit a felony by giving false information to a public servant, contrary to Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act.

Count two alleges that the defendants gave false information to the British Embassy by claiming that Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi was married to Dolapo Afusat Yusuf, thereby exposing him to the risk of deportation to Nigeria.

The prosecution stated that the alleged offence is punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 98, Laws of Northern Nigeria.

Count three alleges that Shitta and Fanzine Educational Consult, having been entrusted with Makinde’s personal documents for the processing of a UK visa, dishonestly breached that trust by preparing and submitting false documents purporting that Makinde was legally married to Yusuf.

The alleged offence is contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.

Following the conclusion of Makinde’s cross-examination, the prosecution closed its case.

Justice Olumuyiwa Oyeyipo subsequently adjourned the matter until January 20, 2027, for the defence to open its case.

Editorial note: I have corrected the grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and spelling while retaining the substance of the report. The names, dates, statutory provisions and wording of the amended charges should be verified against the court documents before publication, particularly the spelling variations in the defendants’ names and the references to the relevant sections of the Penal Code.