Woman Charged In ₦113m Fraud Scandal Turns On Afrika Eyes Over Alleged Damage To Reputation After U.S. Visa Denial

Ikeja,  Lagos State– A woman previously arrested and charged in Lagos for allegedly defrauding two businesswomen of ₦113,341,501 is now at the centre of a new controversy after issuing threats against Afrika Eyes, accusing the news organisation of damaging her reputation and causing her United States visa application to be denied.

The woman, identified as Oyebimpe Rukiat Bello, was arrested in 2023 by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon Close, Ikoyi. She was charged with multiple offences including conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery, and stealing.

But two years after her prosecution, the embattled defendant has reportedly resorted to intimidation and online harassment, allegedly through associates, pressuring Afrika Eyes to delete the earlier investigative report that documented the allegations against her.

On September 19, 2025, a Facebook user identified as Tolu Ayeni sent an aggressive message to Afrika Eyes via Messenger, accusing the platform of destroying Bello’s chances of securing a U.S. visa.

He said, “I believe you are happy now the young lady been denied her visa. Thanks for being a terrible human. Wish you such badluck in future

“How can we be begging you to remove a false and damaging report which the main reported had deleted. You are just a syndicate in the story without any background info on it. And you ensured to damage that ladies reputation.”

The message, believed to be linked to Bello’s camp, was sent in an attempt to force the media platform to retract the 2023 report.

According to police investigations in 2023, Bello allegedly collected: ₦33,341,501 from Miss Fiponmileoluwa Ogundele, and

₦80,000,000 from Mrs. Susan Abimbola Bakare.

Both women told investigators that Bello had promised to invest the funds in water production and petroleum ventures. The police said these claims were false.

Police further alleged that after the defendant collected the money from the complainant, she failed to invest the money in the agreed business and instead converted it to her use and went into hiding.

Police alleged that following the development, the complainants petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP about the matter who referred the case to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG in charge of FCID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos for a thorough investigation.

The AIG FCID Lagos swiftly deployed his crack team to fish out the defendant anywhere she might be hiding and the Police team tracked and arrested the defendant at a hideout in Lagos.

Bello was charged before the Ikoyi Magistrate’s Court, beside the Ikoyi Correctional facility, Lagos, Nigeria on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and stealing.

Police Prosecuting Counsel, Amedu Adoga told the Court in the charge Marked V/3/2023 that the defendant committed the offence in September 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Adoga informed the Court that the defendant connived with others still at large and collected the sum of N113,341,501 from the two complaints with the promise to help them invest the money in a water production and petroleum business knowing full well that there was no such business.

Adoga further told the Court that the defendant forged the documents bearing KRS Investment Limited receipts and fake bank alert transaction receipts to perpetrate the alleged fraud.

Adoga added that after the defendant collected the money from the complainants, she converted it to her use and went into hiding before she was arrested at a hideout through intelligence gathering and tracking.

He said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sessions 411,314(1)(a)(b)(3),363 and 287(7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges in the open Court and the presiding Magistrate, Mr Chinje Agbonor, granted her N2m bail with two sureties in like sum.

Magistrate Agbonor adjourned the case till 30 January 2023 for mention and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Kirikiri correctional facility till she perfected the bail conditions.

On November 14, 2025, Afrika Eyes received a fresh complaint via email from one M. Bijar, using the address [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and U.S. phone number +1 602 780 7621.

The email accused the news organisation of running a website that promotes terrorism, defamation, blackmail, and extortion.

In the lengthy message, Bijar alleged:Afrika Eyes hosts “illegal, defamatory, and abusive posts.”

He said the platform spreads fabricated stories and false allegations while operators demand money in exchange for removing posts.

“The website “promotes terrorism and incites violence. The site posed a serious threat to online safety and public order,” he added.

However, Bijar provided no evidence, no links, no screenshots, and no verifiable claims to substantiate these serious allegations.

In a formal response, Afrika Eyes described the allegations as a desperate smear campaign orchestrated by Bello or individuals acting on her behalf.

Afrika Eyes demanded that Bijar—or whoever is behind the email—produce concrete, verifiable evidence for each allegation.

The organisation stated: “The claims presented are entirely false, misleading, and malicious. It is unacceptable for anyone to allege that the website is engaged in promoting terrorism, financing illegal activities, or hosting harmful, defamatory, or abusive content without providing a single shred of evidence. Such accusations are not only unfounded but also constitute a serious attempt to undermine the integrity and reputation of a legitimate media organisation.

“We hereby demand that you provide concrete, verifiable evidence supporting every allegation you have made. You must clearly demonstrate how the website is allegedly involved in any form of illegal activity, including the promotion of terrorism, defamation, or abuse. In the absence of such evidence, these claims amount to deliberate falsehoods and will be treated as an act of defamation.

“Furthermore, you are required to furnish proof of your claims that the operators of the website manipulate personal information, distort facts, or publish content with the intention of blackmailing or defaming individuals. These are grave allegations that cannot be made casually or irresponsibly. Any assertion of reputational harm, harassment, or violations of privacy and dignity must be backed by factual documentation, specific examples, and verifiable records.

“You must also provide evidence to support your assertion that the website demands money from individuals in exchange for removing allegedly defamatory posts. Such an accusation suggests criminal activity. Therefore, failure to substantiate it with credible proof will be considered an attempt to malign and damage the reputation of the organisation through fabrication and malicious intent.

“If you fail to produce all required evidence, we will have no choice but to escalate this matter. A formal petition will be submitted to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and relevant international bodies, including INTERPOL. These agencies will be called upon to thoroughly investigate the origin of these baseless allegations and identify all individuals involved in spreading such harmful misinformation.

“In view of these developments, you should also expect immediate legal action. Our legal team is fully prepared to initiate litigation for defamation, false accusation, and reputational damage. All necessary steps will be taken to ensure accountability and to protect the integrity of our organisation under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, Oyebimpe Rukiat Bello has been using a third party to issue threats to Afrika Eyes while sending false allegations host website.