A 34-yrs old businesswoman, Modupeola Afolabi, has narrated how the
United States of America in Lagos frustrated her into procuring fake
visas for the United Kingdom (UK) and China. She told reporters that she resorted to procuring the fake visas after she was denied United States of America (USA) visa twice.
According
to her, a visa agent told her that the US Embassy in Nigeria rejected
her visa application because she had a virgin passport. Afolabi said
this when she was paraded alongside Sesan Awolola, 31, and Adebayo
Ajase, 28; who were alleged to have cloned the visas, the payment slips
and the receipts for her.
The businesswoman also said she procured fake London Heathrow Airport entry/exit stamps. Afolabi,
who claimed to be a university graduate, said: “The agent, Olawale,
told me there was something he would do so that when my documents are
sent again, the US officials will grant my visa request. “He told me that the US Embassy doesn’t verify the authenticity of visas from other countries and so, I agreed to do it.
“I
paid him N70,000 for the fake visas and stamps. I badly needed to
travel to America to buy clothes for sale. I usually shop online and I
felt if I started travelling to America to buy, it would be cheaper for
me. “I have a registered business and I think I have enough money in
my account but they rejected me twice. They found out when they were
asking me questions during an interview that I have not been to the UK
and that was how I was arrested.”
Meanwhile the SFU spokesman,
Lawal Audu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said: “the SFU
received a petition from the US Embassy last year lamenting the amount
of money it was losing to fraudsters, who use Corel Draw application and
Microsoft Word to clone old receipts and present same for use by other
visa applicants.
“Following the petition, the SFU began an
investigation which led to the arrest and arraignment of three suspects,
including one Ismaila Adefile before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court,
Igbosere. “However, other members of the syndicate continued to forge
receipts which they used to book visa appointments for their clients.”
According
to him, Awolola and Ajasa were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday after
a visa applicant who used one of their fake receipts was detected at
the embassy.
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