EFCC arrests school owner for alleged visa and scholarship fraud in Uyo
Operatives of the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a suspected serial fraudster, Mrs. Imaobong Cyril Okpong, for allegedly orchestrating multiple visa scams and fake foreign scholarship offers for nonexistent study programs abroad.
According to a statement by the commission, Okpong’s arrest followed a petition by Dr. (Mrs.) Blessing Nse Bassey, a medical practitioner, who alleged that the suspect defrauded her of ₦3,000,000 under the pretext of securing a university admission and processing Canadian visas for her and her husband.
‘’According to Bassey, the suspect contacted her sometime in February 2024 with a supposed opportunity to secure a scholarship and study visa abroad. She explained that she didn’t make any payment until the suspect signed an indemnity agreement, which she notarized before making the N3,000,000 electronic transfer into the suspect’s bank account.
However, after receiving the payment, Okpong allegedly became unreachable and started rejecting calls on her mobile lines as she completely failed to deliver on her promise and terms of the signed agreement.”the statement read
The EFCC added that Bassey claimed that the suspect had defrauded many victims, especially one of her friends “I met in China who got stranded in China when she got there and realized that there was no scholarship. Some of her victims had travelled abroad with fake documents that left many of them stranded overseas while some others faced deportation with huge financial losses”
The agency added that the suspect, an alleged owner of Michael Udonquak Schools , Mbierebe in Akwa Ibom State, will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
