Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has applied to the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi, Abuja, for a United Kingdom-based complainant, Mr Opeyemi Makinde, to testify virtually in the visa fraud case before the court.
The IGP had dragged a suspect, Shitta Waliu Aderibigbe and a firm, Fanzine Educational Consult, before a court for allegedly giving false information to the British government.
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 19th 2023.
During the proceedings on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Veronica Bissang, applied to the court orally to allow Makinde to give evidence in the case virtually, as he is currently in the UK.
She prayed the court for an adjournment so that the complainant could testify in the matter virtually on the next adjourned date.
Mr Makinde, who is also currently fighting his deportation case at a judicial court in London (Appeals and Judicial Review), United Kingdom, is a key complainant in the matter.
Bissang said, “The case is supposed to be for hearing, but the complainant is not in court as he is currently in the UK.
“We are applying for a date for the complainant to testify virtually. Other witnesses are also not in court. The IPO went for an assignment with the IGP, so they are not in court.
“We are asking for a date to enable us to present our witnesses.”
For his part, Defence Counsel M. D Owolabi objected to the prosecution’s argument, describing it as frivolous.
After listening to counsel’s arguments, the court, presided over by Justice Ademuyiwa Oyeyipo, adjourned the case to September 22, 2025, for a definite hearing.
According to the court, the long adjourned date is due to the court’s annual vacation, which starts in the second week of July 2025.
In the charge dated April 9, 2024, Aderibigbe was said to have given false information to the British Embassy that Emmanuel Makinde Opeyemi is married to Dolapo Afussat Yusuf.
The police further stated in the charge that the false information threatened to deport 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 he pleaded not guilty to the charge, the presiding judge, Justice Oyeyipo, granted him bail in the sum of N1 million.
He was also said 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 photographs at the court’s registry and must be residents 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.
