The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three persons before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over alleged forgery, uttering of documents and obtaining money by false pretence in connection with Canadian visa arrangements.
The suspects – Emmanuel Serah Motunrayo, Awotunde Olugbenga and Idowu Olugbemi Sunday – were arraigned separately by the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate on August 19 and 17, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Thursday, Motunrayo and Olugbenga were arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Olusola Adetujoye on a 47-count charge involving alleged fraudulent transactions totalling N23,404,600.
The commission alleged that the duo presented themselves as travel and immigration agents based in Abuja and promised their victims, Oluwatobi Adeoluwa Iyanda and Oyewale Tunji Bello, that they could secure Canadian visas and arrange travel-related services.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly collected N12,368,100 from Iyanda and N11,036,500 from Bello before reneging on their promises.
One of the charges alleged that Motunrayo and Olugbenga obtained N527,000 from Iyanda on March 1, 2025, by falsely claiming they would secure a valid Canadian visa and flight ticket for him.
Another count accused the defendants of forging a Canadian visa dated June 20, 2025, bearing Travel Document No. B011745448 in Iyanda’s name and purportedly issued by the Canadian government.
The EFCC also alleged that the defendants uttered another fraudulent Canadian visa dated July 6, 2025, bearing Travel Document No. B50125702 in the name of Bello.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, EFCC counsel, Mohammed Abideen, asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendants in a correctional centre.
Defence counsel, Jimoh Wasiu, told the court that bail applications had been filed and urged the court to admit the defendants to bail pending the determination of the charges.
Justice Adetujoye adjourned the matter until August 26, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
In a related case, the EFCC had on August 17 arraigned Idowu Olugbemi Sunday before Justice Adetujoye over an alleged N6.65 million Canadian visa fraud.
Sunday was brought before the court on a four-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false pretence.
The commission alleged that between June 2025 and January 2026, Sunday obtained N6,650,000 from Okanlawon Tunji Ajao after falsely representing that he would secure Canadian visas for Ajao and his family.
The charge alleged that Sunday knew the representation to be false.
However, the defendant also pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Lanre Suleiman, subsequently asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional centre.
Defence counsel, Tiwalade Shittu, informed the court that a motion seeking bail on liberal terms had been filed.
After hearing both sides, Justice Adetujoye adjourned the case until August 26, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered Sunday’s remand at the Agodi Correctional Centre.
