The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a woman, Modupe Oriyomi Ativie, before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over alleged visa fraud involving ₦31.06 million, $3,600 and €1,815.
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Ativie was arraigned by the EFCC’s Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate before Justice A.T. Muhammed on a five-count charge bordering on visa fraud, advance fee fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.
The anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement posted on its X account on Tuesday.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that Ativie and Eudora and Aegle Management Consulting Limited obtained ₦8.58 million from Atamuotoru Dikiari Michael through his sister, Rita Chikeru Owhonda, under the guise of securing visa-sponsored employment in Canada.
The charge reads: “That you, Modupe Oriyomi Ativie and Eudora and Aegle Management Consulting Limited, sometime in July 2024 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did obtain the sum of Eight Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (₦8,580,000.00 only) from one Atamuotoru Dikiari Michael through his sister, Rita Chikeru Owhonda, by false pretence under the guise of offering visa-sponsored employment to Canada for him, which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under the same section of the Act.”
In another count, the EFCC alleged that Ativie and the company obtained ₦22.482 million from Augustine Olague between November 21, 2024 and January 23, 2025, under the guise of providing visa-sponsored employment in Canada.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, prosecution counsel, I. Agwu, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand Ativie at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre pending the determination of the case.
Defence counsel, J. Kehinde, however, applied for bail to enable the defendant to prepare for her trial.
Justice Muhammed subsequently ordered that Ativie be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the matter until October 16, 2026, for ruling on her bail application.
According to the EFCC, the case followed a petition by Michael Aiamunotorudikari, who alleged that he and other victims lost money in different currencies to the defendant.
The commission said the petitioner disclosed that his sister, Rita Chikeru Owhonda, introduced him to the defendant’s company in June 2024 as an agency purportedly involved in procuring Canadian visas and employment opportunities.
He allegedly paid $5,800 into an account associated with Eudora and Aegle Travel Management Consultant and subsequently transferred ₦8.58 million into another account linked to the defendant.
According to the EFCC, the petitioner alleged that Ativie became unreachable after the payments and that efforts to recover the money were unsuccessful.
The commission further alleged that its investigation revealed that the defendant received an aggregate sum of ₦31.062 million from the petitioner, as well as $3,600 and €1,815 from other alleged victims.
The charges against Ativie remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court.
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