Absence Of Accused Person Stalls Visa Fraud Case

The absence of an accused person, Shitta Waliu Aderibigbe, has stalled the hearing of the criminal case brought by the inspector-general of police (IGP) against him and a firm, Fanzine Educational Consult.

The IGP, on behalf of a United Kingdom-based complainant, Mr Opeyemi Makinde, dragged Aderibigbe and the firm before the court for allegedly giving false information to the British government.

The trial before Justice Ademuyiwa Oyeyipo of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Jabi, could not go on due to the absence of the accused.

His counsel, Chukwuka Obika, told the court that Aderibigbe was indisposed and could not make it to the court.

He said there is a medical report to back up his claim.

At that point the judge asked about the whereabouts of the surety but his Counsel responded and said that the surety was not also in court.

He further said that the surety did not know that the accused won’t be in court and therefore did not prepare for the proceeding of yesterday.

The court however, adjourned the case to January 28, 2026.

The IGP had filed a motion seeking an order of the court to allow the complainant, Makinde, testify in the case virtually.

Aderibigbe and the firm were arraigned on a two count charge. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

They were said to have been engaged in the Visa scam on January 19, 2023.

In the charge dated April 9, 2024, Aderibigbe was said to have given false information to the British Embassy, that one Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi is married to one Dolapo Afussat Yusuf.

The police further said in the charge that the false information has threatened the deportation of the said Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi back to Nigeria.

According to the charge sheet, the accused knows that the act is unlawful and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Act, CAP 98 Law of Northern Nigeria.

After the charge was read to him, he pleaded not guilty and the presiding judge, Justice Oyeyipo, granted him bail in the sum of N1m.

He was also asked to produce two sureties who must be civil servants and not below level 9 in the civil service.

According to the judge, the sureties must deposit their passport photograph at the Registry of the court and must be a resident of the FCT.

The two count-charge against the accused persons read, “That you Shitta Waliu Aderibigbe ‘m’, Fanzine Educational Consult of No. 12 Evans Street, Idiroko, Along \jede Road, Ikorodu, Lagos state, and Miss Dolapo Afussat Yusuf ‘f’ (at large), sometimes in January, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Giving false information to a Public servant, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act (1990. CAP 532).

“That you Shitta Wallu Aderibigbe ‘m’, Fanzine Educational Consult of No. 12 Evans Street, Idiroko, Along ijede Road, Ikorodu, Lagos state, and Miss Dolapo Afussat Yusuf ‘f’ (at large), sometimes in January, 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did give False Information to the British Embassy, that one Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi is married to one Dolapo Afussat Yusuf, the information that has threatened the deportation of the said Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi back to Nigeria, an act you know to be unlawful and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Act, CAP 98 Law of Northern Nigeria.”