A 57-year-old woman, Ijeoma Chikezie, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged N650 million visa fraud, forgery, and money laundering scheme linked to fake United Nations invitation documents.
Ijeoma was arraigned by the legal department of the police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi Lagos, in a charge marked FHC/L/327c/2026, before Justice Daniel Osiagor led-court on Tuesday.
In the charge, the prosecutor, Barrister Achi Caleb, alleged that the defendant, Ijeoma Chikezie, forged United Nations documents and allegedly defrauding six visa applicants under the guise of securing United States visas for them.
The prosecutor informed the court that the defendant allegedly forged a United Nations letter of invitation connected to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 70). Adding that the forged document was intended to deceive officials of the United States Consulate General in Lagos into issuing visas to one George Erohunse Anyangbe and five other persons.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant committed the offences on or about March 9, 2026.
PSFU alleged that the forged invitation letter was presented as an official document belonging to the United Nations Organization.
The 57 years old defendant was alleged to have used the forged United Nations’ documents to defraud George Erohunse Anyangbe and five other persons of the total sum of N650 million.
The offences the prosecutor, Barrister Achi said contravened sections 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Section 18(2) of the Money Laundering [Prevention & Prohibition] Act, 2022. And sections 18(3) and 1(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related offences Act, 2026.
In Count One of the charge, prosecutors accused Chikezie of forging the UN invitation letter with the intent that it would be accepted as genuine by the US Consulate for visa processing purposes. The alleged offence is said to contravene Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Count Two alleged that the defendant knowingly uttered and presented the forged document to officials of the United States Consulate General in Lagos for the purpose of obtaining visas for the applicants. Prosecutors maintained that the act constituted another violation under the same provision of the law.
The court documents further accused the defendant of unlawfully acquiring and controlling funds totaling approximately N650 million, allegedly obtained from George Erohunse Anyangbe and five others. According to investigators, the funds were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities connected to the alleged visa fraud scheme.
Under Count Three, Chikezie was accused of knowingly taking possession or control of the funds in violation of Section 18(2) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In Count Four, prosecutors alleged that she directly or indirectly converted or transferred the said sum either to herself or to other individuals, an offence punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
The defendant has however denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the five count charge.
Based on her plea, the prosecutor requested for a trial date and prayed the court to remand her pending trial.
But her lawyer, pleaded with the court for a short date for her bail application to be filed. While equally begged the court to remand the defendant in the PSFU’s custody.
Justice Osiagor in his ruling, acceeded to the defendant’s request and ordered that she be remanded in PSFU’s custody pending when her bail application will be heard. The judge thereafter adjourned the matter to July 6, for trial.
Here are the charges against the defendant: “that you, Ijeoma Chikezie, on or about the 9th day of March, 2026 at Lagos, trialable within the Federal High Court Judicial Division, did forge a United Nation letter of invitation on Commission on the Status of Women [CSW 70) property of United Nation Organization, with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine by United States Consulate General {USCG), of the United States Consulate, Lagos, for issuance of United State Visa to One George Erohunse Anyangbe ‘m’ & 5 others, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M 17 Laws Of The Federation Of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Ijeoma Chikezie, on or about the 9th day of March, 2026 at the United State Consulate, Lagos, trial-able within the aforesaid Judicial Division, did utters and forge United Nation letter of invitation on Commission on the Status of Women {CSW 70), to the United States Consulate General {USCG/, with intent that it may be acted upon by the Consulate General, for issuance of United States Visa to One George Erohunse Anyangbe ‘m’ & 5 others; and thereby committed an offence punishable ander Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M 17 Laws Of The Federation Of Nigeria, 2004,
“That you Ijeoma Chikezie, on or about the 9th day of March, 2026 at Lagos, trialable within the Lagos Federal High Court Judicial Division, did directly or indirectly acquires, or takes possession or control of property [funds], to the total sunt of about Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (650, 000, 000. 00k) Only, property of One George Erohunse Anyangbe ‘m‘ & 5 others, intentionally, knowingly or reasonably ought to have known that such property forms part of the > proceeds of unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 18(2) of the Money Laundering [Prevention & Prohibition] Act, 2022.
“That you, Ijeoma Chikezie, on or about the 9th day of March, 2026 at Lagos, trialable within the Lagos Federal High Court Judicial Division, did directly or indirectly converts/or transfers to yourselves or to other person(s) property funds, to the total sum of about Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N650, 000,000.00.k) Only, property of One George Erohunse Anyangbe ‘m’ & 5 others, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering [Prevention & Prohibition] Act, 2022.
“That you Ijeoma Chikezie on or about the 9th day of March 2026, at Lagos State, within the Lagos federal High Court judicial division, did with an intent to defraud obtained property (funds) to the total sum of N650 Million (six hundred and fifty million Naira) only, from one George Erohunse Anyangbe and 5 others, under the false pretence of securing United States Visa for them, a presentation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related offences Act, 2026.”
