N9m Visa Scam : Fake travel agent jailed for 7 years

A fake Travel Agent, Iheanacho Chikwendu, has been convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Justice Emeka Isiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State for defrauding his victims the sum of N9,000,000.00( Nine Million Naira only).

Chikwendu was jailed on March 19, 2021 after a four- year trial in a 10- count charge preferred against him by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The charges bordered on obtaining money by false pretence.

Count One of the charges read: “That you Iheanacho Chikwendu on or about the 15th September, 2016 at Umuahia, Abia State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Four Million Naira only N4, 000, 000. 00 through your First Bank Plc Account number 3078148618 by false pretense, when you presented yourself as a travel agent to Mary Nwankwo and capable of procuring a Canadian Visa for her daughters, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under 1(3) of the same Act”.

Count Three also read,”That you Iheanacho Chikwendu on or the 23rd of November, 2016 at Umuahia, Abia State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Three Million Five -Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only N3,550, 000.00 through your First Bank plc Account number 3078148618by false pretense, when you presented yourself as a travel agent to Mary Nwankwo and capable of procuring a Canadian Visa for her daughters, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an Offence contrary Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

The defendant, however pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, thereby prompting a full-trial of the case that lasted four years.

Justice Isiagor, in his judgment, found Chikwendu guilty, convicted, and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on counts 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8, and discharged him on counts 1, 4, 9, & 10 of the charges. He ordered him to make restitution of N9million to the victim.