ICPC Drags Woman to Court Over Alleged Forgery of Marriage Certificate, UAE Stamps for UK Visa
By Zainab Tanimu
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has brought a four-count charge against Ms. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo, accusing her of forging official documents to obtain a United Kingdom (UK) visa.
Ms. Ojo was arraigned on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, before Honourable Justice Akobi at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kubwa. The case, filed under Charge No. CR/577/25, centres on allegations that she falsified a marriage certificate and forged United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport entry and exit stamps to support her visa application.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place in Abuja around 2019. The ICPC claims that Ms. Ojo submitted a counterfeit marriage certificate bearing registration number 024119/2017, supposedly issued from the Ikoyi Marriage Registry in Lagos, despite knowing it was forged. She is also accused of fabricating UAE travel stamps to give the impression of international travel history.
The alleged offences violate Sections 363, 366, and 364 of the Penal Code, which prohibit forgery and the use of forged documents.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo, in 2019 or thereabouts, at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently present as genuine a forged marriage certificate purportedly emanating from Ikoyi Marriage Registry, Ikoyi-Lagos, when you had reason to believe it to be a forged document, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the Federation.”
Ms. Ojo pleaded not guilty to all charges and was represented in court by her lawyer, C. A. Owo Ekele. ICPC’s lead counsel, Barrister Fatima Abdullahi, announced the Commission’s readiness to begin trial, while the defence requested bail.
Justice Akobi granted bail in the sum of ₦2 million with two sureties. One must be a civil servant of at least Grade Level 15, and the other a resident of Abuja who owns landed property with a valid Certificate of Occupancy. Copies of the surety’s passport and land documents must also accompany the bail application.
Until she meets the bail conditions, the court ordered that the defendant be held at the Suleja Correctional Centre.
The ICPC has reaffirmed its commitment to working with embassies and international agencies to clamp down on visa fraud and ensure that offenders face the law.”
This was contained in a statement signed by Demola Bakare, Director Public Enlightenment and Education, Spokesperson ICPC.
