Four Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme that involved creating over 2,000 fake marriage certificates to facilitate illegal residency in the UK.
The individuals, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade (41), Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo (38), Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi (31), and Adekunle Kabir (54), were convicted of various offenses related to making fraudulent applications under the EU Settlement Scheme for Nigerian citizens.
The offenses occurred between March 2019 and May of the previous year, according to the Home Office.
The sentences, handed down at Woolwich Crown Court, ranged from nine months to six years, depending on the severity of each individual’s crimes, as reported by the Evening Standard on Tuesday.
The group provided fake Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other counterfeit documents to support applications for Nigerians seeking to remain in the UK through the EU Settlement Scheme.
A joint investigation by the Home Office and its international operations team in Lagos, Nigeria, uncovered more than 2,000 false marriage documents.
Onifade and Shodipo were convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide materials used in fraud. Gbadamosi was found guilty of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation. Kabir was convicted of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was acquitted of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Onifade, based in Gravesend, received a six-year prison sentence, while Shodipo, from Manchester, was sentenced to five years. Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was given an 18-month sentence, and Kabir, from London, was sentenced to nine months in prison.
Paul Moran, the chief immigration officer of the Home Office, praised the convictions as a significant achievement in the fight against exploitation, emphasising that those who manipulate vulnerable individuals for financial gain will face justice.
Moran stated, “This group was absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse our borders and 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.”
