Officers of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force on Monday arraigned a man, Israel Onen, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged visa racketeering scheme involving N60m.
Onen was docked before Justice Ibrahim Kala on four counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, fraud, and stealing, preferred against him by the police in the charge marked FHC/L/1203C/2025.
During the arraignment, the prosecutor told the court that the defendant conspired with others, now at large, between 2024 and 2025 to defraud the complainant, Akinola Ayodele Emmanuel.
He alleged that Onen “fraudulently obtained the sum of N60m under the pretence of procuring Ireland and Schengen countries’ visas” for the complainant’s clients.
“The visas were never procured, and the money was not returned,” the prosecutor added.
The police further alleged that the defendant’s actions contravened provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, and the Criminal Code.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Following the plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded in police custody.
“We are asking that the defendant be remanded in the custody of Zone 2 Command because there are several complaints against him,” the prosecutor said.
However, defence counsel O. Ogu opposed the application and urged the court to grant the defendant bail.
“We have filed and served our bail application on the prosecution, and we pray the court to admit the defendant to bail on liberal terms,” he told the court.
In his ruling, Justice Kala granted the defendant bail in the sum of N60m with one surety in like sum.
The judge ordered that “the surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 13 or a landed property owner with property valued at N60m.”
Justice Kala further directed that the defendant and his surety must each deposit two passport photographs, their National Identification Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers, bank account details, and phone numbers used for receiving alerts.
“The court registrar and the prosecutor are to participate in the verification of the bail conditions,” the judge ruled.
He adjourned the case to February 12, 2026, for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Zone 2 Command, Onikan, pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
