By Andrew Utulu/Lagos
Located at Sunday Adewusi building on Milverton Street, Ikoyi Lagos, the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), of the Nigeria Police Force no doubt have enormous responsibilities resting on its shoulders. The task before the unit is enormous in the sense that it basically deals with fighting fraud and corruption related crimes. In a country where corruption and fraud thrive in the highest order, the SFU no doubt has a lot on its plate in terms of fighting these crimes including: Banking fraud, Internet fraud, VISA racketeering and fraud in the government and private sectors among others.
No wonder the Commissioner of Police (CP), Special Fraud Unit, Tunde Ogunsakin in his first press briefing this year said that corruption indices measurement has continued to rate Nigeria and developing world as a growing concern in fighting the social malady, adding that this is a challenge for every body to sit up for year 2014.
One of such scenario played out with the arrest of a couple and five others recently by the unit on allegation of human trafficking and forgery. The case became more interesting in the sense that the matter was reported to the unit by the Consulate General of Italy in Lagos.
The report was made through a petition dated 10th of January, 2014 to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos. In that petition, a couple Alabi Olumuyiwa Ayinmola and Alabi Toyin Olayinka were accused of appearing at Italian Embassy for visit VISA.
They allegedly came along with two females, Aisosa Uwailomwon and Osaigede Endurance whose names have been changed to Alabi Adenike Rachael and Alabi Olwakemi Rita respectively.
It was also observed that the page 5 of the passports of the two alleged daughters of the couple as well as that of their mother have been tampered with.
It was also stated in that petition that the daughters’ passports contained suspicious entry/exit stamps of Ghana immigration service while the GTBank and First Bank Statement of accounts submitted by the suspects were seen to be altered and forged.
In response to the petition, operatives at SFU swung into action, and arrested six suspects who were interrogated in respect with the allegations and they were said to have made confessional statements.
Ayinmola, 44 year-old from Idogun Osse local Government Area of Ondo State and a graduate of Music Education from Ekiti State University told the police that he is into supply of petroleum products and that his company named Virgin Green Petroleum is located at 54/56 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos.
He was said to have confessed to the allegations saying that it was one Emma that masterminded the entire thing. He further disclosed that it was the same Emma that procured all the fake documents including the bank statements which were presented to the Embassy.
But all effort to make Ayinmola and his wife Toyin speak to the press proved abortive. They alleged that police complicated what the embassy accused them of. In fact Toyin was furious when she shouted that they have an image to protect.
Toyin, also 44 according to the police confessed that the two girls Endurance and Aisosa were not their daughters but were asked by Emma to travel with them as part of their family, declaring that it was Emma that procured the forged documents.
Aisosa, 19 from Ovia East Local Government of Edo State confessed that couple was not her biological parents but was joined to them by Emma for the purpose of procuring the Italian Visa. She also said that she was introduced to Emma by one Mrs. Anthonia Aworowo who resides in France and who wanted her to come to France and assist in her Day Care business. She further stated that Emma tutored her to say that she is a 200Level Economics student of Lead City University, Ibadan and gave her all the forged documents including the passport with the name Oluwakemi Rita Alabi.
For Endurance, 21, also from Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, she told the police it was the same Anthonia Aworowo and her husband
in France that introduced her to Emma to facilitate her travelling, adding that Emma now introduced her to Mr and Mrs Alabi as her parents and changed her names to Adenike Racheal Alabi.
Emmanuel Olayimola Damule, 35, Travel Agent and an alleged VISA racketeer, is said to be a graduate of Lagos State University, Ojo.
Police alleged that he forged all the documents used by the other suspects to apply for visa at the Italian Embassy.
He was also alleged to have joined the two girls to be members of Alabi family for the purpose of committing the crime which Mr. Alabi accepted.
According to the police spokesperson Ngozi Isintume-Agu who paraded the suspects on behalf CP Ogusakin, “the whole crime was Damule’s brainwork and he operated a syndicate that procures documents.”
She said that Ayodeji Olatunde who is also a member of the syndicate was arrested with him. The 38 year-old from Ede, Osun State and graduate of Business Administration from Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo said he escorted his friend Emmanuel to the Embassy when he was apprehended by the police. The police alleged he was also involved in the crime.
Aworowo Samuel, 42, from Isoko North, Delta State and a brother to Jonathan Aworowo who is alleged to be into human trafficking was said to have conspired with his brother Jonathan and wife Anthonia to traffic the two girls to France.
The two girls were said to be accommodated in Samuel’s house any time they came to Lagos for Visa application.
It was alleged that Samuel introduced the girls to Emma to assist them to procure the visa to France.
Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP said the suspects would be charged to court soon to serve as a deterrent to others.