Court Remands Doctor Over N39.1m Job, Visa Scam
A Port Harcourt-based medical practitioner, Dr Nekabari Nathan, has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of defrauding a client of N39,157,000 under the pretext of securing foreign job placements and international visas.
The EFCC arraigned Nathan and his company, Global Horizons Academy Ltd, on Thursday before Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He faces a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and advance fee fraud, in violation of Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offence was committed between 8th April and 12th December 2023.
The commission alleged that Nathan received the sum from one Justice Toojah Iyieagbu, the Managing Director of Riskout Consults, under the false promise of facilitating visa procurement for Canada, Ireland, and the United States for a number of Nigerian clients.
The charge reads in part: “That you, Dr. Nekabari Dambere Nathan and Global Horizons Academy Ltd… with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Thirty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand Naira (N39,157,000.00 only)… a pretence you knew to be false.”
Nathan pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Prosecution counsel, A. Abubakar, subsequently applied for a trial date and requested the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility.
However, defence counsel, Friday Otanjah, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on medical grounds and urged the court to grant his client bail to prepare for trial.
Justice Ajoku ruled that the defendant be held in EFCC custody pending the determination of his bail application and adjourned the matter to 25th June 2025 for the bail hearing.
The trial is scheduled to commence on 27th November 2025.
The EFCC noted that the case stemmed from a petition by Iyieagbu, who alleged that Nathan posed as a caregiver trainer and travel consultant, promising job placements abroad and IELTS registration for Nigerian students.
After collecting funds from several clients, the doctor allegedly became unreachable, prompting legal action.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
