Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested an alleged serial fraudster, Mrs. Imaobong Okpong, for her suspected involvement in multiple visa rackets and fake foreign scholarship schemes.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Friday, the EFCC said Okpong, who allegedly owns a school in Mbierebe, Akwa Ibom State, was apprehended following a petition filed by Dr. Blessing Bassey.
Bassey, a medical practitioner, accused the suspect of defrauding her of ₦3 million under the pretext of securing university admission and processing Canadian visas for her and her husband.
According to the petitioner, Okpong contacted her in February 2024 with an offer to help secure a scholarship and study visa abroad.
She explained that she only made the payment after the suspect signed an indemnity agreement, which she duly notarised before transferring ₦3,000,000 to Okpong’s account.
However, Bassey said the suspect became unreachable after receiving the money, refusing to answer calls and failing to fulfil any of the agreed terms.
Bassey further alleged that other victims had also fallen prey to the suspect’s schemes.
“I met someone in China. She was stranded when she got there and realised that there was no scholarship. Some of her (Okpong’s) victims had travelled abroad with fake documents that left many of them stranded overseas, while some others faced deportation with huge financial losses,” Bassey was quoted as saying.
The EFCC confirmed that Okpong will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, the EFCC announced that the Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced an entrepreneur, Muhammed Bukar, to six months in prison for offences relating to counterfeit currency and cybercrime.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro handed down the sentence after finding Bukar, a native of Dikwa Local Government Area in Borno State, guilty on a two-count charge filed by the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate.
