Four Nigerians have been sentenced to prison in the UK for orchestrating a large-scale immigration scam involving the forgery of over 2,000 marriage certificates to help people live in the country illegally.
The individuals, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade (41), Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo (38), Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi (31), and Adekunle Kabir (54), were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London.
The group, part of an organized criminal network, fraudulently processed EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between March 2019 and May 2023, according to the UK Home Office.
Their scheme involved providing false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documentation to enable applicants to remain in the UK illegally. The investigation, conducted by the Home Office in both the UK and Lagos, uncovered that the group had facilitated more than 2,000 fake marriage documents.
The Chief Immigration Officer of the Home Office, Paul Moran condemned the group’s actions, highlighting their “prolific” abuse of the UK’s immigration system for financial gain. He emphasized the importance of the convictions as a deterrent to other criminal gangs and reaffirmed the commitment of UK authorities to securing borders and protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.
Onifade, from Gravesend in Kent, and Shodipo, from Manchester, were both found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud. They were jailed for six years and five years respectively.
Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation and sentenced to six years.
Kabir, from London, was found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception. He was jailed for nine months.
