The SFU has expressed worry over the attitude of Nigerians who patronize visa vendors that provide fake travelling documents.
News reports have revealed that the Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos State, has received reports of over 1,185 applications with fake documents from the Italian Embassy, with many charged to court.
The SFU has expressed worry over the attitude of Nigerians who patronize visa vendors that provide fake travelling documents.
ALSO READ: Fake visa racketeer arrested in Onitsha
The Guardian reports that, while the SFU Public Relations Officer, Lawal Audu, spoke on the issue, he said that many of the embassies, which partner with SFU, have zero tolerance for forgery.
Audu also noted that these embassies are mainly interested in issuing visas to credible Nigerians.
He added that the SFU has a good working relationshi p with American, Italian and the UK embassies and that each of this embassies, has its peculiarities.
“The American consulate general for instance; every day we receive complaints of fake visa applicants. But the most disturbing is the fake visas, fake stamps, both arrival and departure stamps. Most of these applicants appear at the consulate with passports covered with fake travel history.”
According to Audu, Nigerians seeking to travel out, prefer to go to a visa vendor, who might end up defrauding them, which is a major issue.
He added: “These visa vendors are everywhere. They will tell prospective customers or clients that they had assisted over hundred people to get the American visa. They will promise to help. And because these visa seekers are vulnerable or don’t care to know how they can apply for visa, they fall prey.
ALSO READ: Visa agent docked over alleged N667, 000 visa scam
“If you want to know how to apply for visas, just go to the internet. You don’t need to pay anyone or give money to anyone. But rather, many Nigerians prefer to give money to touts, visa agents and visa vendors. Nobody is appointed to be a visa vendor by any embassy or high commission.”
Illegal immigration and Nigerian gangs in Italy
Italy is a hotbed for many Nigerians seeking greener pastures in Europe. Many of them are illegal and they take the deadly Libyan desert and Mediterranean sea routes into Spain and Italy.
Decades of illegal migration have allowed Nigerian criminals to slip into Italy. These Nigerian gangsters slip into Italy illegally along with millions of Africans looking to better their lives.
As time has gone by, these Nigerian gangs have been able to put a proper structure in place to recruit migrants who have no official status in the country.
There are thousands of illegal immigrants in Italy (including a lot of Nigerians). These people can't apply for jobs, can't get work permits and are officially not recognized as refugees. This limits their chances of getting a decent job in the country.
This is where the Nigerian gangs come in. They recruit these poor Africans into their criminal enterprise and introduce them to a world of drug dealing and prostitution.
Palermo, Sicily, which is the traditional home of the famous Italian mafia has started to notice Nigerian gangs getting a piece of the pie on its turf. According to a documentary produced by VICE News in 2016, Nigerian gangs have started dominating these territories of the Italian mafia.
Backlash
Pro-nationalist sentiments in Italy have started to rise and with it has come a backlash on Nigerians in the country. Two Nigerians, Jennifer and Gideon were reportedly injured when a gunman went on a shooting spree in Macerata, Italy on Saturday, February 3, 2018.
AFP reported that the attack, which was carried out by a far-right supporter, was triggered by the murder of an Italian woman, allegedly by a Nigerian asylum seeker.
The gunman, Luca Traini was arrested and taken into custody after the attack.
The Police also discovered a copy of Adolf Hitler's manifesto "Mein Kampf" and a book by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, when they searched his mother’s home.
The 28 year old Italian right wing extremist who shot six Africans in Central Italy has shown no remorse according to Italian law enforcement officials.
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