Thirty-four suspects have been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Ogba, Lagos State, for allegedly organising a travel scam to defraud two Ghanaians and other unsuspecting members of the public in the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the defendants including Esther Agyemang, Asare Sonia, Asare Boison and others at large reportedly lured some of the victims, who were said to be unemployed, from Ghana to Nigeria, on the promise of sending them to France and other European countries for job opportunities.
However, the victims including one Stephen Agyei-poku and Francis Atomani, after paying for the service, accused the suspects of defaulting in the agreement when they got to the Mazamaza area of Lagos State.
It was learnt that the victims reported to the police and some of the suspects including Agyemang, Sonia, Boison, alongside 31 others were arrested and charged to court.
The defendants are facing two counts of conspiracy and fraud.
The defendants include Esther Agyemang, 23, Asare Sonia, Asare Boison, 18, and 31 others.
The defense counsel led the first witness in evidence.
The witness, Agyei-poku, told the court that he reported a case of fraud because he was scammed by Agyemang, Sonia, and Boison.
He said, “Agyemang told me she was in France, and would connect me with an agent that would help me with the document process in France, knowing that I was unemployed. I believed her because she is my childhood friend.
“$10100 was collected from me for the passport and document. Agyemang told me that $30,000 would be needed for the processing, but I could pay half of the money.”
According to Agyei-poku, upon arriving in Nigeria, he was kept in a marketing company for a while, and afterwards he contacted the Ghanaian police to notify them that he had been scammed.
Thereafter, the second witness, Francis Atomani, a Ghanaian, while being led in evidence, said his friend, Sylvester Aboagye, introduced him to a travelling agent, identified simply as Saturday, and was advised to travel to Nigeria to process the travelling.
He said, “Aboagye told me that since I am unemployed, there was a job opportunity in France, and that I should bring $1200 to process my document. I borrowed the money and he connected me with an agent, one Saturday.
“Aboagye told me to come to Nigeria and when I got to Mazaza, Lagos, on August 16, 2022, I connected with Saturday, who connected me with one Kennedy, who took me to the Next Level Hotel in Mazamaza.
“Aboagye met me in the hotel the next day and told me it was not safe to keep $1200 on me, collected the money, and was taking me to another location to meet another agent when three guys bombarded us and said some policemen arrested some Ghanaians. When I realised my life was in danger, I reported at Ghanaian embassy and was immediately taken to the station.”
WhatsApp document evidencing the chats between Atomani and Aboagye was tendered and admitted as an exhibit in the matter.
However, some of the defendants raised their hands to note that they don’t recognise the witnesses but the Magistrate, B.O Osunsanmi, said they would have their time to talk.
Osunsanmi adjourned the case till September 16, 2022, for continuation of trial.
