EFCC Arraigns Oriyomi for Alleged N31m, $3,600, €1,815 Visa Fraud in Port Harcourt

The Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Modupe Oriyomi Ativie before Justice A. T. Muhammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for alleged fraud.
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She was arraigned on a five-count charge, bordering on visa fraud, advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretence.

One of the charges 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 (N8,580,000.00, only) from One Atamuotoru Dikiari Michael through his sister, Rita Chikeru Owhonda by false pretence under the guise of offering a 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) & (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act 2006 and Punishable under same section of the same Act”.

Another reads: “That you Modupe Oriyomi Ativie and Eudora and Aegle Management Consulting Limited between 21st November, 2024 to 23rd January, 2025 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did obtain the sum of Twenty-Two million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand Naira (N22,482,000. 00, only) from one Augustine Olague by false pretence under the guise of offering a 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) & (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

She pleaded “not guilty,” to charges, prompting the prosecution counsel I. Agwu to ask the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, pending his trial, while the defence counsel, J. Kehinde applied for his bail to enable her prepare for her trial.

Justice Muhammed thereafter, ordered for the remand of the defendant in EFCC’s custody and adjourned the matter till October 16, 2026 for ruling on her bail application.

The defendant’s way to the court was paved by a petition from Michael Aiamunotorudikari, in which he alleged that he lost money in various currencies, together with other victims, to the defendant. He disclosed that his sister Rita Chikeru Owhonda introduced Eudora and Aegle Management Consultant to the defendant’s company in June 2024, as an agency that was procuring Canadian visa and employment opportunities for travellers in the country.

He alleged that he initially paid the sum of $5,800 (Five Thousand, Eight Hundred United States Dollars) into the defendant’s Eudora and Aegle Travel Management Consultant account and additional sum of N8,580,000 ( Eight Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira into another account of the the defendant

Fraud

According to him, the defendant became incommunicado after the two payments and that all his efforts to recover his money proved abortive.

Investigation by the Commission revealed that the defendant received an aggregate sum of N31,062,000 (Thirty-one Million and Sixty Two Thousand Naira) from the petitioner and $3,600 (Three Thousand, Six Hundred Dollars) and €1,815,00 (One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Euros) from other victims.
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Nigeria’s Reforms Can Transform Africa, Says Taiwo Oyedele

Nigeria’s experience with economic reforms offers valuable lessons for African countries seeking sustainable growth, stronger regional trade and improved living standards, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said.
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Oyedele spoke at the Africa’s Golden Future Forum on Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand, where he highlighted the importance of carefully sequencing reforms, communicating policy decisions consistently and building public trust.

He identified fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange liberalisation and tax reform as major components of Nigeria’s economic reform programme, noting that the order in which policies are implemented can influence their impact on citizens and businesses.

According to him, removing the fuel subsidy before liberalising the foreign exchange market helped manage the effects of rising costs. He stressed that effective communication, strong institutions and consistent policies were essential to sustaining reforms and building public confidence.

Oyedele said Nigeria’s reforms were laying the groundwork for inclusive growth, job creation and economic expansion, adding that African countries must also address structural barriers that limit trade and investment across the continent.

He called for the removal of trade barriers, improved infrastructure and stronger regional integration to unlock the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Minister said Nigeria was developing an economic policy framework to align trade, fiscal and monetary policies and improve coordination. He also identified energy, logistics, storage and processing infrastructure as critical to strengthening African trade and competitiveness.

He highlighted Nigeria’s National Single Window initiative, designed to simplify border procedures and improve trade efficiency.

Oyedele also stressed the need to protect vulnerable citizens from the effects of economic reforms through effective social protection measures.

He said Nigeria’s cash transfer programme had reached more than 10 million households, while over 1.5 million students had benefited from education support.

Also speaking, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Sidi Ould Tah, called for the practical implementation of reforms across Africa, stressing that policy commitments must translate into tangible results.

Ould Tah said the bank had supported reforms in Nigeria and Egypt through budget support and was working with development partners to expand electricity access across the continent.

He cited Mission 300, an initiative launched with the World Bank and other partners to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, as an example of the scale of cooperation required to address Africa’s infrastructure gaps.

According to him, more than 30 African countries had signed energy compacts requiring coordinated reforms, infrastructure investment and private sector participation to expand electricity access.

The AfDB President noted that intra-African trade accounted for about 15 per cent of the continent’s total trade, compared with 40 per cent and 60 per cent in other regions.

Taiwo Oyedele

He said the bank devoted more than 60 per cent of its financing to infrastructure, including regional projects aimed at improving connectivity and promoting continental integration.

Ould Tah added that the African Development Fund’s regional financing mechanism could cover up to 90 per cent of eligible regional projects involving more than two African countries, helping to address financing gaps that often hinder cross-border infrastructure development.

Efe Ovuakporie
Head of Media
Federal Ministry of Finance
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EFCC Arraigns ALSCON, Director for Alleged N582.43m Money Launderin

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, October 12, 2026, arraigned Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria, ALSCON, plc, and its Director, Zavyalov Dmitry, before Justice O. A. Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged money laundering offences involving N582,430,250.00 (Five Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Four Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty Naira).
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The company and its director were arraigned on a six-count amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/644/2025. Dmitry is said to be at large.

According to the charge, the company, a Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession, DNFBP, and Its Director, Dmitry, failed to report in writing to the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) single transfers made from the company’s account between March and July 2024, as required under Section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The transfers include N147,515,050.00 in March 2024, N156,026,860.00 in April 2024, N121,425,200.00 in May 2024 and N127,338,190.00 in July 2024, all paid to UDATSON NIGERIA. Others are N15,124,950.00 paid to Urico Global Services in April 2024 and N15,000,000.00 paid to one Christopher Azogu in June 2024.

Count one reads: “That you, Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria Limited, plc, a Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession (DNFBP) and Zavyalov Dmitry (at large) being Director of the said DNFBP sometime in March, 2024 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to report in writing to the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), a single transfer of the sum of N147,515,050.00 (One Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Five Hundred and Fifteen Thousand, Fifty Naira) paid into UDATSON NIGERIA from account no. 1013726291 operated by Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria Plc as specified under Section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 11 (3), 19(2) (b), and 22 of the same Act.”

Count two: “That you, Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria, plc, a. Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession (DNFBP) and Zavyalov Dmitry (at large) being Director of the said DNFBP sometime in April, 2024 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to report in writing to the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), a single transfer of the sum of N156,026,860.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Six Million, Twenty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty Naira) paid into UDATSON NIGERIA from account no. 1013726291 operated by Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria Plc as specified under Section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 11 (3), 19(2) (b), and 22 of the same Act.”

Count four of the charge sheet reads, “That you, Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria Plc, a Designated Non-Financial Business and Profession and Zavyalov Dmitry (at large) being Director of the said DNFBP sometime in May, 2024 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to report in writing to the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML), a single transfer of the sum of N121,425,200.00 (One Hundred and Twenty One Million, Four Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand, Two Hundred Naira) paid into Udatson Nigeria from account no. 1013726291 operated by Aluminium Smelter Company Of Nigeria Plc as specified under section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 11 (3), 19(2) (b), and 22 of the same Act.”

EFCC

Lead counsel to the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, told the court that the offences are punishable under sections 11(3), 19(2)(b) and 22 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

When the charges were read, the company’s Acting Managing Director, Ime Monday Inyang, pleaded not guilty to all six counts on its behalf.

Counsel to the company had asked the court to quash the charges, claiming that the company was innocent of the charges.

In view of the plea, Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter to January 27, 2027 for commencement of trial.

Dele Oyewale

Head, Media & Publicity

October 12, 2026
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