EFCC in Uyo has arrested a woman accused of visa fraud and fake scholarship schemes.
Officials say she took money for study promises but victims were left deceived and disappointed.
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Uyo have taken into custody a woman identified as Mrs. Imaobong Cyril Okpong over multiple allegations of visa fraud and fake foreign scholarship claims.
The Commission said Okpong’s arrest followed a petition from a medical practitioner, Dr. Blessing Nse Bassey, who accused the suspect of promising to secure Canadian university admission and study visas for her and her husband in exchange for money.
According to the petitioner, Okpong approached her in February 2024, advertising what she described as a fully funded opportunity to study abroad. Bassey reported that she only agreed to pay after the suspect signed a notarized indemnity agreement to guarantee the deal. A total of N3 million was then transferred electronically into Okpong’s account.
However, immediately after the payment was made, Okpong allegedly cut off communication. Bassey said calls to the suspect’s known phone numbers were repeatedly rejected, and none of the promised arrangements materialized.
The EFCC further stated that the complainant believes she is not the only victim. She recounted the case of a friend who travelled to China under similar promises but discovered on arrival that the supposed scholarship program never existed. In other reported cases linked to the suspect, victims were said to have travelled with forged documents, leaving them stranded abroad or facing deportation after losing large sums of money.
Investigators also linked Okpong to an educational institution known as Michael Udonquak Schools in Mbierebe, Akwa Ibom State.
The EFCC confirmed that she will be arraigned in court once ongoing inquiries are completed.
