Syndicate forges Cardinal Onaiyekan’s signature to obtain pilgrims’ visas

Lagos police have arrested 5 trade union members allegedly specializing in counterfeiting visa documents.  The arrested suspects were identified as Ikenna Aningwu, 28; Ebere Okere, 36; Toyin Dada, 36; Naboth Iyke, 35; and Yomi Alalade, 39.  The suspects and others in large quantities allegedly forged documents with the signature of Cardinal John Onaiyekan from the Catholic Archdiocese, Catholic Church of St. Jakova, Abuja.  The Cardinal was a former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria.  PUNCH Metro learned that the documents were presented to the Consulate General of the Italian Embassy in Victoria Island to secure six visas for the purpose of Christian pilgrims to Rome.  The police have revealed to our correspondent that the Embassy has doubts about the documents and contacted the cardinals to confirm the signature, which proved to be counterfeit.

The source said,

“Sometime in November 2017, Aningwu and five other suspects at large conspired with Okere, Dada, Iyke and Alalade to forge documents for visas. Aningwu and the five others wanted to go for pilgrimage in Rome.
“In a desperate attempt to get the approval of the Italian Embassy on Victoria Island, Lagos, Iyke and others, who are at large, forged the signature of the cardinal in the documents and presented same to the embassy.
“In the course of verification, the embassy contacted the cardinal, who said he had never had any encounter with any of the suspects before and denied the signature as his.”

It was learnt from another source that a petition was addressed to the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, in respect of the alleged fraud.

“The embassy pretentiously called the suspects that the visas were ready and they should come to pick them up. Aningwu was arrested when he went to pick one of the visas. Other members fled having got wind of his arrest. He led operatives to locations where four of the accomplices were arrested,” the source added.

The suspects were on Thursday arraigned in Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on three counts bordering on forgery and fraud.

The defendants, who were brought before Chief Magistrate A.F.O. Botoku, pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.

The magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till January 17, 2018.#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie