A Nigerian woman, Remilekun Temitope Balogun-Okedeyi, has been sentenced to prison for forging employment documents of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in an attempt to fraudulently secure a United Kingdom visa.
The conviction was secured by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission after investigations revealed that the defendant falsely claimed to be an employee of NAFDAC.
She was found to have presented forged employment and promotion letters, an identity card, and an introduction letter purportedly issued by the agency.
The case stemmed from a petition by the British Deputy High Commission, which uncovered a visa fraud syndicate allegedly led by Olusegun Ojo Adigun.
The network was linked to multiple visa applications and specialised in facilitating travel to the UK using falsified documents.
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Further investigations showed that Balogun-Okedeyi also submitted a fake bank statement allegedly issued by Chanelle Microfinance Bank covering January to July 2025.
However, authorities confirmed that she did not operate any account with the financial institution.
She was initially charged with multiple counts related to forgery and providing false information under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The matter was heard before Mojisola Dada at the Ikeja Special Offences Court.
During proceedings, the defendant entered into a plea bargain agreement, leading to an amendment of the charges to a single count, to which she pleaded guilty.
In her judgment, Justice Dada sentenced the defendant to one year imprisonment, with an option of a N500,000 fine payable within seven days.
The court also ordered her to perform two days of community service and to sign a bond of good behaviour to be recorded in the Lagos State Judiciary database.
The ICPC said the conviction highlights its ongoing efforts to curb document falsification and the impersonation of government agencies for fraudulent purposes.
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