EFCC Arraigns Company’s MD For Alleged ₦9 Million Visa Scam In Rivers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Echendu Ndubuisi Endy, for an alleged visa scam to the tune of ₦9 million.

According to the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of EFCC, arraigned Echendu Endy, Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited, on Thursday, before Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on three-count charges bordering on visa scam and obtaining money under false pretence.

One of the count charges read, “That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy while being the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited between 23rd day of April 2024 to 2nd May 2024 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the total sum of (Four Million Naira) N4,000,000.00 only from Mr Darlington Abuchi under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable him work and stay in United Kingdom which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section|1(3) of the same Act.”

Another count read, “That you, Echendu Ndubuisi Endy while being the Managing Director of Echendu GPC Limited between 16th day of August 2023 to 14th September 2023 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the total sum of (Three Million Naira) N3,000,000.00 only from Mrs. Ngozi Nzechukwu under the pretense that you had the capacity to procure United Kingdom work permit visa to enable her work and stay in United Kingdom which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) a & b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Endy pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, following which prosecution counsel K. A. Yunus prayed the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial and remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS).

The defence counsel, P. U. Alikor, informed the court that he had applied for the defendant’s bail. He prayed the court to grant the defendant bail to enable him to prepare for his trial.

In his ruling, Justice Obile ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. The matter was adjourned to November 28, 2024, for the hearing of the bail application.