The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has secured the conviction of Remilekun Balogun-Okedeyi for forging documents of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control to support a fraudulent visa application.
This was disclosed in a statement published on the Commission’s official website, detailing the outcome of the case.
The conviction followed investigations into a visa fraud scheme in which the defendant falsely presented herself as a NAFDAC employee using forged employment records.
What the commission is saying
ICPC said the defendant used forged employment and promotion letters, an identity card, and an introduction letter purportedly issued by NAFDAC to misrepresent her employment status.
According to the Commission, the case stemmed from a petition by the British Deputy High Commission, which exposed a visa racketeering syndicate allegedly led by one Olusegun Ojo Adigun.
The Commission noted that findings confirmed the defendant was never employed by NAFDAC, rendering all submitted documents false and misleading.
- “Further investigations by the Commission revealed that the syndicate was linked to at least sixteen visa applications and specialised in facilitating travel to the United Kingdom using falsified supporting documents.
- At the centre of the case was the defendant’s deliberate misrepresentation of her employment status,” they stated
- In addition to the forged employment documents, the defendant also submitted a falsified bank statement allegedly issued by Chanelle Microfinance Bank covering January to July 2025.
- Investigations showed that she did not operate any account with the bank.
- The defendant was subsequently charged under a six-count charge bordering on forgery and providing false information, in violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
More insights
The case was heard before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Ikeja Special Offences Court.
During proceedings, the defendant entered a plea bargain through her counsel, leading to the amendment of the charges to a one-count offence, to which she pleaded guilty.
The prosecution team presented evidence through an investigator, with documentary exhibits admitted by the court.
Justice Dada sentenced the defendant to one year imprisonment, with an option of a N500,000 fine payable within seven days.
The court also ordered two days of community service and directed the defendant to enter into a bond of good behaviour to be recorded in the Lagos State Judiciary database.
What you should know
Visa fraud has become a growing area of concern for both Nigerian authorities and foreign governments, with several recent cases and policy responses highlighting the scale of the issue.
- The United Kingdom and Nigeria signed a three-year agreement in March 2026 to tackle visa fraud and organised immigration crime, including stricter penalties for offenders and improved verification systems for documents used in visa applications.
- The agreement also builds on a joint fraud action plan introduced in 2025, aimed at strengthening intelligence sharing and cross-border enforcement to detect and disrupt visa-related fraud networks.
- Global payment company Visa has disclosed that it has prevented over $1 billion in fraud attempts and shut down more than 25,000 scam merchants.
