……..28 Arrested for Cross-Border Fraud.
Emmanuel Ikpeama.
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested 28 individuals, including victims and perpetrators, of a cross-border fraud scheme targeting Liberians.
The scheme involved coercing victims to deceive their families and friends into believing the victims were living in Australia.
Following a petition by the Press Society (TPS)who had petitioned the NIS after receiving a distress call from stakeholders in the Liberian community,Investigator news reports that the victims were held in a camp in Agura-Gberigbe,Ikorodu, and forced to manipulate their loved ones into sending money for fake visa processing fees.
Victims interviewed said that for over 6 months since in Nigeria they have been indoors but on some occasions,they take pictures at exotic places on the Island,make video,chats with their friends and families as this is to make their relatives believe they are doing fine and living a good life in Australia.
Investigator news gathered that the victims said the scheme handlers have roamed different country numbers, which makes it easy for them to deceive and make family and friends to raise funds for visa processing to Australia.
They said on different occasions they tried to challenge the status quo,but they are often tagged as rebel. Since they observed the strategy of divide and rule tactics by the handlers of the scheme,the victims started playing along to be in the good book of the leaders of the scheme.
This decision to play along aided their flee from the camp, seeking for help without suspicion. Several thousand of dollars have been collected from them for visa processing to Australia but they never left Nigeria, rather they were told to deceive more people from Liberia that they are in Australia.
“We are now being told of some products that can enhance our traveling to Europe,” one of the victims stated.
“They harbor us in a house, we were sleeping like refugees after paying them $3,000 each, some people even pay more.
“We were mandated to daily report to a place highlighted as an office. We will be there daily obtaining information on our to market and sell #Qnet product which is a network marketing platform,” another victim who prefer to remain anonymous told us.
Upon receiving the petition, the NIS swung into action, mobilized some armed team to burst the syndicates at one of their hideout camp at a community in Agura-Gberigbe in Ikorodu as 28 victims and scheme syndicates were apprehended.
Investigator news was reliable informed that after the arrest of this scheme perpetrators on the 15th of April, 2025, the NIS informed the investigative team of TPS that justice will be served.
The NIS stated that when done with their investigation, they will give the investigative team of TPS a feedback.
When contacted on their investigation,the NIS Public Relation Officer,Mr Ademulegun in company of the Deputy Controller (DC) Samuel Okafor stated “the alleged scam victims are not victims according to their investigation”.
He further said that “just 8 of them are in Nigeria illegally, and according to ECOWAS treaty, they have 90 days window of opportunity to stay in the country and we have asked them to leave when it lapses”
