EFCC Arraigns Port Harcourt Doctor Over Alleged ₦39.1m Visa Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Port Harcourt has arraigned Dr. Nekabari Dambere Nathan, a medical doctor based in Rivers State, over an alleged visa scam involving ₦39.1 million.

According to the EFCC, Nathan was arraigned before Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court, alongside his firm, Global Horizons Academy Ltd, on a single count charge of obtaining money under false pretenses.

The anti-graft agency alleges that between April 8 and December 12, 2023, the doctor fraudulently collected ₦39,157,000 from Justice Toojah Iyieagbu, the Managing Director of Riskout Consults. The money was reportedly intended for the processing of visas to Canada, Ireland, and the United States for the company’s clients.

A petition to the EFCC in February 2023 claimed that Dr. Nathan misrepresented himself as a caregiver training expert and visa consultant, convincing students that he could help them pass the IELTS exam and secure overseas employment. The petition further alleges that he became unreachable after collecting the funds and failed to deliver on his promises.

The charge reads in part:
“That you, Dr. Nekabari Dambere Nathan and Global Horizons Academy Ltd, with intent to defraud, obtained ₦39,157,000 from Riskout Consults for visa processing under false pretence, thereby committing an offence under Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.”

During Thursday’s court proceedings, the defendant pleaded not guilty. EFCC counsel A. Abubakar requested a trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded in custody. The defence counsel, Friday Otanjah, appealed for bail on medical grounds.

Justice Ajoku adjourned the hearing on the bail application to June 25, 2025, and scheduled the trial to commence on November 27, 2025. In the meantime, the defendant is to remain in EFCC custody.