A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday arraigned a man, Israel Onen, over an alleged visa fraud involving the sum of N60m.
Onen was brought before Justice Ibrahim Kala by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, fraud and stealing.
The charges, marked FHC/L/1203C/2025, were filed by the police.
During the arraignment, the prosecution told the court that the defendant, alongside others still at large, allegedly defrauded a complainant, Akinola Ayodele Emmanuel, between 2024 and 2025.
According to the prosecutor, Onen collected N60m under the guise of securing Ireland and Schengen countries’ visas for the complainant’s clients.
“He fraudulently obtained the sum of N60m under the pretence of procuring Ireland and Schengen countries’ visas, which were never procured, and the money was not refunded,” the prosecutor told the court.
The police said the alleged offences contravened provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act and the Criminal Code.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Following the plea, the prosecutor asked the court to fix a trial date and applied for the defendant to be remanded in custody.
“We are asking that the defendant be remanded in the custody of Zone 2 Command because there are several complaints against him,” the prosecutor said.
However, defence counsel, O. Ogu, opposed the request and urged the court to grant the defendant bail.
“We have filed and served our bail application on the prosecution, and we pray the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms,” Ogu said.
In his ruling, Justice Kala granted Onen bail in the sum of N60m with one surety in like sum.
The judge ruled that the surety must be “a civil servant not below Grade Level 13 or a landed property owner with property valued at N60m.”
Justice Kala also ordered the defendant and his surety to submit two passport photographs each, their National Identification Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers, bank account details and phone numbers used for receiving alerts.
“The court registrar and the prosecutor are to participate in the verification of the bail conditions,” the judge added.
He adjourned the case to February 12, 2026, for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
