The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a woman identified as Ms. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo before an Abuja High Court for allegedly forging a marriage certificate and passport stamps to fraudulently secure a United Kingdom visa.
The dramatic courtroom session unfolded at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kubwa, where Ms. Ojo stood before Justice Akobi to face a four-count charge bordering on forgery and fraud.
The case, registered as Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo (F) under charge number CR/577/25, drew attention for its cross-border implications.
According to the prosecution, Ms. Ojo’s alleged scheme dates back to 2019, when she reportedly forged documents, including a marriage certificate and United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport stamps, as part of a grand plan to deceive British authorities into granting her a visa.
The ICPC alleged that she produced a counterfeit marriage certificate with registration number 024119/2017, purportedly issued by the Ikoyi Marriage Registry in Lagos — a well-known government institution whose name, investigators said, she “exploited to lend credibility to her deception.”
Investigators claimed the document was not the only fake in her application.
They also alleged that she doctored entry and exit stamps of the UAE in her international passport, presenting them as authentic travel records to bolster her application for a UK visa.
Prosecutors maintained that the forged documents were used “knowingly and intentionally,” with the aim of misleading consular officers and obtaining a travel permit under false pretenses.
The offences, they said, violated Sections 363 and 366 and are punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the Federation.
One of the charges read in court stated that Ms. Ojo “fraudulently presented as genuine a forged marriage certificate purportedly issued by the Ikoyi Marriage Registry, when she had reason to believe it to be false.”
The court was told that such acts not only undermine public trust but also embarrass Nigeria in international dealings.
When the charges were read, Ms. Ojo stood quietly in the dock and pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
Her defence counsel, C. A. Owo Ekele, maintained that she was innocent and urged the court to grant her bail on liberal terms pending trial.
ICPC’s lead counsel, Barrister Fatima Abdullahi, however, told the court that the Commission was fully prepared to open trial and called for an early date to prove the charges.
She emphasized that document forgery for immigration purposes has become “a growing menace that damages Nigeria’s global reputation.”
After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Akobi granted Ms. Ojo bail in the sum of ₦2 million, with two sureties in like sum.
One surety must be a public servant not below Grade Level 15, while the other must be an Abuja resident with verifiable landed property backed by a valid Certificate of Occupancy.
The judge also ordered that the sureties submit their passport photographs and copies of their property documents to the court for verification before the defendant could regain freedom.
Until then, Ms. Ojo was to remain in the Suleja Correctional Centre.
Court observers said the ruling balanced the need for justice with respect for the defendant’s rights, while sending a clear warning that document forgery for visa purposes would be met with firm consequences.
As she was led away by correctional officers, the courtroom buzzed with murmurs about the growing trend of visa fraud and the high level of sophistication some suspects employ to outwit foreign consular systems.
The ICPC, in a post-hearing statement, reaffirmed its commitment to working with international partners and foreign embassies to track, investigate, and prosecute individuals involved in falsifying travel or identity documents.
A senior official of the Commission, who spoke off record, said cases like Ojo’s highlight “the intersection between corruption, desperation, and the illusion of easy escape abroad,” stressing that the agency will not relent in restoring integrity to Nigeria’s public image.
The case is expected to resume in the coming weeks as the Commission presents witnesses and forensic evidence to prove that the marriage certificate and UAE stamps were indeed forgeries.
For now, the ICPC says it hopes the prosecution will serve as a deterrent to others considering similar fraudulent means of obtaining foreign travel documents.
