Four Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to a combined 13 years in prison for forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates to facilitate illegal residency in the UK.
According to the Evening Standard, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade (41), Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo (38), Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi (31), and Adekunle Kabir (54) were involved in submitting fraudulent applications under the EU Settlement Scheme for Nigerian nationals between March 2019 and May last year.
The organized crime group provided fake Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to support these applications, enabling individuals to remain in the UK illegally.
A Home Office investigation, which included efforts from both domestic teams and international operations based in Lagos, Nigeria, uncovered over 2,000 false marriage documents.
Following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, Onifade and Shodipo were found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud.
Gbadamosi was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation, while Kabir was found guilty of possessing an identity document with improper intention but was acquitted of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Onifade, from Gravesend, received a six-year prison sentence, while Shodipo, from Manchester, was sentenced to five years. Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was sentenced to 18 months, and Kabir, from London, was jailed for nine months.
Paul Moran, the Home Office chief immigration officer, stated, “This group was prolific in their abuse of our borders and has been rightly brought to justice. As with many gangs we encounter, their sole priority was financial gain.
“I am pleased that my team was able to intercept their operation, and I hope these convictions serve as a warning to other unscrupulous gangs exploiting people’s desperation to remain in the UK. We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on those who prey on vulnerable people for profit.”
