THE Lagos State Police Command has explained how 49-year-old Joseph Edward allegedly swindled 30 people of the sum of N18.3 million in a phoney visa scam in Igando.
According to media reports, Edward was arraigned before an Ejigbo Magistrate's Court in Lagos on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing, preferred against him by the police.
The prosecutor, ASP Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on August 10, 2021, and sometime in November 2022, at No. 10/11, Abbey plaza, Igando, in the Igando-Ikotun LCDA of Alimosho LGA.
He said that the defendant fraudulently obtained a total sum of #18.3 million from one Parkers Zander and 29 other people, under the guise of procuring visas to Spain and Dubai for them.
Aigbokhan said that the defendant also promised the complainants that he would use the money to purchase flight tickets for them but failed to do so.
He said that some of the people the defendant obtained money from, included Zander who gave him #3.7 million, and Kabiru Sani who parted with #1.6 million.
“The defendant also obtained the sum of #1.9 million from Chigozie Ojiaku, #660,000 from Abiodun Oluwasegun, and #2.5 million from George Will.”
According to him, the defendant converted the said money to his use. However, when the charge was read out to him, the defendant denied the charge.
Magistrate, Miss K. A. Ariyo, granted him bail in the sum of #2 million with two sureties in like sum.
She ordered that one of the sureties should be a land owner in Lagos State and the other a blood relative to the defendant, and thereafter adjourned the case until December 13, 2022, for mention.
PM NEWS
