The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) in Lagos on Monday paraded six persons, including a couple, over alleged visa fraud at the Italian Embassy.
Ngozi Isintume-Agu, spokesperson of the unit, who paraded the suspects, said that they were arrested after receiving a petition from the Italian Consulate-General, alleging visa fraud by the couple.
Isintume-Agu said that the couple (names withheld), appeared at the embassy for a Visitor’s Visa, along with two young ladies of ages 19 and 21, who they claimed were their daughters, bearing Yoruba names.
She said that the couple allegedly changed the ladies names from Edo to Yoruba, with a view to deceiving the embassy officials.
The spokesperson said that one of the six suspects paraded, who allegedly specialises in visa fraud, reportedly facilitated the connection between the couple and the ladies.
“The petition also alleged that page five of the International Passports of the two `fake’ daughters seemed to have been tampered with, as well as that of their mother.
“The petitioner further stated that the daughters’ passports contained suspicious entry/exit stamps of the Ghana Immigration Service.
“The GT Bank and First Bank Statements of Accounts submitted by the suspects was seen to have been altered and forged.
“The six suspects were arrested and interrogated in connection with the allegation and they all made confessional statements of using deception to obtain visas from the Italian embassy.
“They will be charge to court soon, to serve as deterrent to others,’’ she added.