Kolawole Viyon, a man who was desperate to leave the shores of Nigeria for greener pastures in Britain, is to spend the next three years in prison for giving false information about his marital status. Viyon was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos for allegedly lying about his marital status in the UK visa application form. Justice Mojisola Dada, who handed down the sentence, said the accused was guilty as charged. Following a plea bargain entered into with the prosecution, the judge, however, gave Viyon an option of N300, 000 fine.
“Following the defendant’s guilty plea, he is hereby convicted accordingly. The terms of the plea bargain are hereby adopted as the sentence of this court and the judgment thereof. He is hereby sentenced to three years in prison or the fine imposed,” the judge said. The judge, however, noted that if the fine was not paid within 24 hours, “Viyon will have to mandatorily serve his prison term.” However, the convicts’ counsel, Ms Hannah Adeyemi, told the court that he was ready with the N300, 000 cash to pay the option of fine. ICPC counsel, Mr Gogodoye West, told the court that the defendant with another person named Olaronke Akerele, committed the offence on December 13, 2016, at the ICPC Lagos Zonal Office. West said officials of the British High Commission had in 2016 handed over Viyon and his accomplice, now at large, to the ICPC, for giving false information in their visa application forms. He told the court that “in his extra-judicial statement volunteered under caution before Mrs. Nkem Ezenwa, an investigating officer with the ICPC, made a false statement that Olaronke Akerele is his third and legally married wife.” “Viyon informed Ezenwa and Mr Kenneth Agba, another investigating officer of the ICPC, that the marriage ceremony between himself and Akerele was conducted by an Imam under Islamic law.
“The defendant said the marriage was evidenced by a certificate of marriage with number JUN/ LB/0000064 which is dated January 9, 2016 and issued by the Jama-at-ulIslamiyya of Nigeria. “Viyon also lied that he had signed the certificate of marriage and that the ceremony was conducted at No. 108, Tokunboh St., Lagos Island, Lagos,” the prosecutor said. West, however, told the court that investigation revealed that there was neither marriage contracted between Viyon and Akerele nor a certificate of marriage issued by the Jama-atul-Islamiyya of Nigeria to that effect. At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Viyon had pleaded guilty to an amended three counts bordering on knowingly making statements which are false. But prior to his plea bargain, the prosecution applied to the court for the withdrawal of the charge against Akelere, who had since absconded.
“The application for withdrawal has become necessary since she has been on the run and we have been unable to apprehend her,” said the prosecutor. The offences violated Section (1) (b) and 25 (1), (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
