Visa scam: How Nianthio tricked a police officer and a Koranic teacher

A visa fraud case, in which an active-duty gendarme and a Quranic teacher were among the plaintiffs, has been solved by the police station of Unit 15 in the Parcelles-Assainies district. The suspect, known by several aliases, was brought before the prosecutor's office at the end of his detention.

It was the filing of two separate complaints that triggered everything. In a letter dated May 21, 2026, Gendarme IB reported a visa fraud case involving 1,140,000 CFA francs to the police station. The complainant stated that this money had been paid on behalf of his younger brother, who was planning to travel abroad.

A second complaint was registered on August 10, 2026, this time filed by S. Baldé, a Quranic teacher residing in Parcelles-Assainies. He reported similar activities involving 2,100,000 CFA francs.

The detectives' investigations led to the arrest of O. Mané, alias "Nianthio", aged 33, on September 9, 2026, around 8 p.m.

The suspect confesses

At the police station where he was taken, the accused readily admitted to the charges against him. He stated that he had been active in this field since 2021 and had managed to help several candidates travel abroad, with the complicity of a Moroccan man named Mr. Azour, a resident of Morocco currently living in Spain.

Multiple identities

A search of the documents found in his possession during his arrest revealed a well-oiled machine: multiple copies of receipts issued in his clients' names, on which he subtly changed his identity. He appeared sometimes as G. Mané, born April 5, 1994, in Médina, holder of national identity card number 1068, residing in Parcelles-Assainies, and sometimes as O. Sané, born May 7, 1993, in Médina Poussang, holder of national identity card number 106. He also regularly changed his phone number, making it more difficult for his victims to identify him, according to Seneweb sources.

The suspect was taken to the prosecutor's office yesterday at the end of his police custody.

Mor Mbaye CISSÉ