Pastor Michael Ogundepo, 39, was taken into custody by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ondo State Command, on suspicion of running a visa scam.
The suspect obtained N1.67 million to get a visa for a woman named Miss Fagbuyiro Ajetomobi-Yemi, according to a statement from the Command’s public relations officer, DSC Aidamenbor Daniel, released on Monday in Akure.
In order to prevent the complainant from applying for a new visa, Daniel said, Ogundepo of No. 15 Ewu Agbo Street, Ikorodu Lagos, had both the complaint’s money and passport taken for two months.
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“The command extended multiple invitations to the suspect, but he turned them down. In order to fool the complainant, he pretended to be abroad and called her from a fictitious international number.Thus, without the suspect realising it was a ruse, he was asked to pay N3,000,000 for a job on a visa and was then invited to collect it.
But, as the NSCDC PRO noted, “investigation has shown that he has conned a number of other innocent clients.”
Following the conclusion of the inquiry, Daniel stated, the suspect would be charged in court.
He asserts that the pastor’s activity is unlawful in accordance with Ondo State’s 2006 Criminal Code Law, Section 419, Cap. 37, Vol. 1.
