By Vivian Okejeme
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Emmanuel Opeyemi Makinde, has told Justice Ademuyiwa Oyeyipo of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja, how a travel agent, Mr Waliyu Aderibigbe Shitta, allegedly concealed information and documents to arrange a fake marriage for him in 2022.
Makinde, in his evidence before the court, said the travel agent fraudulently added a woman to his visa application in 2022 as his wife.
He told the court that the travel agent added one Miss Dolapo Afusat Yusuf as his legally married wife.
The travel agent is currently standing trial before the court for allegedly arranging a fraudulent marriage for Miss Dolapo Afusat Yusuf to facilitate her travel abroad using the identity of Mr Opeyemi, a Nigerian citizen residing in the United Kingdom.
Led in evidence-in-chief by the prosecution counsel, R. Abang, Makinde, who is the complainant in the case, said he had no knowledge whatsoever of the woman he was alleged to have married.
Makinde, in his evidence before the court, said he submitted a Subject Access Request to the UK Home Office on March 26, 2024, and that, after 30 days, the Home Office provided him with the requested records.
He said it came as a complete shock when he discovered from the documents that:
«“For the first time in my life, I saw the name Dolapo Afusat Yusuf recorded as my spouse on my own student visa application.»
«“A woman I have never met, a woman I have never spoken to, a woman whose face I cannot describe, a woman I have zero knowledge of, until a government document forced her name into my life and destroyed everything I have worked for. I state categorically under oath that I have never seen this woman, Dolapo Afusat Yusuf.»
«“In the two PDF documents sent to me through my personal email on the day of my biometric appointment, the defendant forwarded my visa appointment to my email. Page 12 of my WhatsApp chat confirms this.»
«“He was supposed to send three documents to my email address: the appointment, checklist and student visa application form for me to clarify it.»
«“The single most important document was deliberately concealed and was never sent to me. Those two documents he sent to me are completely useless. He sent a worthless paper to me to create a false impression that everything was being handled transparently. He sent me those useless documents to create the illusion of transparency.”»
He further told the court that on May 17, 2024, his UK solicitor attempted to submit a UK visa application for his wife for the second time, but the application was refused on June 7, 2024.
He said the application was refused not because his wife was unqualified, their marriage was not genuine or they had done anything wrong, but because the UK authorities stated in writing that their records showed that he was legally married in the UK and had a valid marriage certificate.
«“My UK solicitor immediately filed an administrative review on June 22, 2024, and every legal step I had taken had cost me money I did not have. In addition, I had entered depression and was taking antidepressant drugs.»
«“On August 8, 2024, the UK government confirmed what the defendant did to me. The British Home Office confirmed this in writing.»
«“My visa was cancelled, and whenever you are submitting a UK visa application, the UK visa portal requires an applicant to declare whether a third party is assisting with the application.»
«“The declaration is specific and mandatory. The defendant, without my knowledge and authority, maliciously ticked the declaration that I was personally completing and submitting the application myself.»
«“The specific declaration he falsely made in my name before the British Government states: ‘By sending this application, you confirm that to the best of your knowledge and belief the following is correct… I am the applicant aged 18 or over.’”»
The complainant had earlier told the court in his evidence that he sent a screen recording of the email he had created and told the defendant that the email was wiped when he logged in.
According to him, there was no UK visa application form in the email, and the defendant told him that he would ask someone in Nigeria to check.
«“He came back a few days later and told me the document had been deleted because he had a lot of people he was dealing with.»
«“I called my pastor again to inform him of what the defendant told me, and my pastor told the Assistant Shepherd, Oseni Pascal, to call the defendant. The defendant stated that the information in the application was based on the information I had provided throughout my dealings with him.»
«“I consistently informed him that I was single for the purpose of my student visa application. After my wife completed her study, I submitted an application for her on March 6, 2024, so that she could join me in the UK.»
«“I was working that day when I received an email from the Home Office requesting a divorce certificate relating to an alleged previous marriage. I was in shock because I had not been married to anybody. So, immediately, I sent a voice note to the defendant explaining the consequences of what was going on.»
«“I also took a screenshot of the Home Office correspondence. After viewing it, he blocked me. I called my pastor again and told him we needed to arrest the defendant. My pastor did not act on what I said; rather, he stopped responding to my messages after the second day.”»
The trial has been further adjourned to November 11, 2026.
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