The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a multi-million naira visa scam and arrested four suspects linked to the fraudulent operation that allegedly swindled more than ₦500 million from over 100 victims.
The suspects — Blessing Wefsutu (27), Chineye Christian (36), Archibong Udeme Ifereke (23), and Maurine Peter (25) — were staff of an educational consultancy firm based in the Ago Okota area of Lagos.
The fraud came to light after several complaints were lodged at the Ago Okota Police Division, prompting the case to be escalated to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Yaba for further investigation.
According to preliminary findings, the consultancy firm had posed as a legitimate agency promising to facilitate Canadian and Australian work visas, including guaranteed overseas employment opportunities. However, none of the promised jobs or travel documents materialized, leading to mass suspicion and eventual police action.
Police spokesperson SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrests via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday, stated:
“The scam involved more than 100 victims and a total of approximately ₦500 million. Further investigations indicate that the syndicate includes additional accomplices who are currently at large.”
He reiterated the command’s zero-tolerance stance on fraud, vowing that all perpetrators will be prosecuted and that law enforcement will continue to intensify manhunt efforts for the suspects still at large.
