- Police Uncover Alleged International Visa Scam, Arrest Six Liberians in Lagos
- Victims Lured With Canada Visa Promise
- SCID Takes Over Investigation
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested six Liberian nationals over their alleged involvement in a human trafficking, abduction and international visa fraud syndicate that reportedly lured victims with false promises of relocation to Canada and the United Kingdom.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the suspects, made up of five men and one woman aged between 21 and 40, were arrested at Gberigbe in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
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Police said the group allegedly specialised in defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of naira by promising to secure visas, work permits and residency documents for Canada and other countries.
Following the arrests, the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, directed that the case be transferred from the Imota Police Division to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for a comprehensive investigation.
A police source disclosed on Friday that the syndicate allegedly targeted fellow Liberians, convincing them to travel to Nigeria with assurances that their relocation abroad had been arranged.
According to the source, victims paid large sums of money before travelling, only to discover on arrival that no travel arrangements existed.
Instead, their passports and other travel documents were allegedly confiscated.
The source said the victims were initially lodged in a hotel for a few days before being moved to a rented apartment in Ikorodu, where they were allegedly held and pressured to recruit more people into the scheme.
“The victims were promised opportunities to relocate abroad. After paying the required fees and arriving in Nigeria, they discovered there was no travel arrangement.
“Instead, they were introduced to a networking business and instructed to recruit others before they could regain their freedom,” the source said.
Police said the syndicate was exposed after one of the victims realised she had been deceived and contacted a man she had met during her journey to Nigeria.
The man reportedly alerted the police after she shared her location, leading to her rescue and the arrest of the suspects.
The investigation is being handled by the Delta Force Anti-Robbery Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Dayo Akinbisehin.
Police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate, while the six suspects will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
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