A four-member Nigerian gang has been sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison for forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates to enable illegal immigration into the UK.
According to the Evening Standard, the gang members—Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54—were involved in making fraudulent applications under the EU Settlement Scheme for Nigerian nationals between March 2019 and May 2023, as stated by the Home Office.
The organized crime group provided fake Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to support the applications, allowing the nationals to unlawfully remain in the UK. A Home Office investigation, which included efforts both domestically and through its international operations based in Lagos, Nigeria, uncovered more than 2,000 falsified marriage documents.
Onifade and Shodipo were convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court. Gbadamosi was found guilty of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation, while Kabir was convicted of possessing an identity document with improper intent, although he was acquitted of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Onifade, from Gravesend, was sentenced to six years in prison, and Shodipo, from Manchester, received a five-year sentence. Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, while Kabir, from London, was jailed for nine months.
Home Office Chief Immigration Officer Paul Moran commented on the case, stating, “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.”
