By Nkechi Eze
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Lagos State Office, has secured the conviction of one Ijamulisi Ayodele James for his involvement in the falsification of documents used in fraudulent applications for United Kingdom visas.
In an official statement, the Commission’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare, said the conviction followed credible intelligence from the British High Commission alleging that the defendant was responsible for producing forged documents, including invitation and introduction letters purportedly from Clarivate Analytics and Thomson Reuters, as well as a counterfeit bank statement and payslip.
The ICPC’s prosecution team, led by Yvonne William-Mbata, told the court that investigations confirmed the fraudulent documents were prepared at the request of Dennis Adetoye Adeniran and Awoke Nimota Omobolaji both of whom had earlier been prosecuted and convicted in related cases in 2019 and 2025, respectively.
On August 7, 2025, James was arraigned before Hon. Justice R.A. Oshodi at the Ikeja Special Offences Court on a four-count amended charge of forgery under Section 467 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He pleaded guilty to all counts under a plea bargain agreement approved by the Commission. Following his plea, the court convicted him and sentenced him to a fine of ₦1 million or seven days’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently.
This means the defendant is to pay an aggregate fine of ₦4 million into a designated account or serve a custodial term of seven days at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Facility.
The court also ordered the biometric registration of the convict in the Lagos State Judiciary Offenders’ Database and mandated him to file an affidavit of good behaviour at the High Court Registry. The ICPC further stated that it reserves the right to reopen investigations should he violate the terms of his undertaking or if new facts, undeclared assets, or corruption-related offences emerge.
According to the Commission, the conviction reinforces its determination to combat document fraud, safeguard the integrity of international travel systems, and uphold the rule of law in Nigeria.
