ICPC CRACKS DOWN ON LAGOS ‘VISA MILL’ SYNDICATE, SECURES CONVICTION OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL

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By: Muftau Fatimo

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has dismantled a visa fraud syndicate in Lagos State and secured the conviction of Michael Kuyoro, an Ikeja Local Government employee, for his role in a scheme involving forgery, conspiracy, and abuse of office.

The conviction was handed down on March 12, 2026, by Honourable Justice O.A. Okunuga of the Ikeja High Court, Criminal Division, Lagos.

The case stemmed from a petition by the Italian High Commission, which raised concerns over 22 Nigerian visa applicants who submitted forged letters of invitation and introduction.

Investigations by the ICPC revealed that Michael Kuyoro, an Ikeja Local Government official, abused his position to produce falsified documents on official letterhead, falsely presenting applicants as staff or affiliates of the local government.

Further inquiries established that Kuyoro received N50,000 from an accomplice, Samuel Orebela (currently at large), to facilitate the fraudulent scheme.

Kuyoro was initially arraigned on a four-count charge but later entered a plea bargain, resulting in the amendment of the charges to a two-count offense involving conspiracy and providing false statements, contrary to Sections 25 and 26 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Following his guilty plea, the ICPC prosecution team—comprising Mrs. Yvonne William-Mbata, Mrs. Roseline N. Eze, and Mrs. Oluwayemisi E. Pereira—presented the facts of the case, leading to his conviction.

In her judgment, Justice O.A. Okunuga sentenced Kuyoro to two years’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, with the option of paying fines of N10,000 for Count One and N100,000 for Count Two. Additionally, he was ordered to perform three months of community service, involving six hours of daily labor under the supervision of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Kuyoro was also ordered to post a N1 million bond for good behaviour, subject to forfeiture if breached, and was permanently blacklisted through the registration of his biometrics in the ICPC Criminal Offenders Database, effectively barring him from holding any future public office.

In delivering judgment, the court noted that existing penalties under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, no longer align with the realities of modern corruption.

Justice Okunuga described the current sanctions as “outdated and insufficient,” emphasizing that the prescribed fines fail to reflect the severity of such offences.

The court therefore urged an urgent legislative review to strengthen the law’s deterrent effect.