•The culprits
A Woolwich Crown Court in London has convicted and sentenced four Nigerians for forging over 2,000 marriage certificates to illegally help people desperate to remain in the United Kingdom.
UK Home Office Chief Immigration Officer Paul Moran described the development as an exploitation of people’s desperation following the court’s ruling yesterday, Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
The verdict was entered against Abraham Onifade (41), Abayomi Shodipo (38), Nosimot Gbadamosi (31) and Adekunle Kabir (54).
As reported by Sky News, the Home Office alleged that the defendants were part of an organised criminal group that made fraudulent European Union Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerians.
The defendants implemented this through the provision of false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documentation aimed at helping applicants remain in the country.
Investigations showed that they carried out this enterprise between March 2019 and May 2019.
With the UK prosecution having closed its case, the court found Onifade and Shodipo guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK while conspiring to provide articles used in fraud. They were sentenced to six years and five years of imprisonment, respectively.
Gbadamosi was jailed for six years for deception and fraud by false representation while Kabir was jailed for six months after being found guilty of possessing an identity document with improper intention to deceive.
Paul Moran, the Home Office Chief Immigration Officer, reacted to the conviction, saying that the group was absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse UK borders, adding that they have rightly been brought to justice.
“As with many gangs we encounter, their sole priority was financial gain. I am delighted that my team was able to intercept their operation, and I hope these convictions will serve as a warning to unscrupulous gangs who exploit people’s desperation to remain in the UK.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money,” he assured.
The UK Home Office acknowledges the moves by foreign nationals, including Nigerians, to live in its land, but it insists on legal entry.
As of May 2024, Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, disclosed that the number of dependents accompanying students from Nigeria studying in the United Kingdom (UK) surged from approximately 1,500 to 52,000 between 2019 and 2022.
He described this as a surge in demand for British education.
