Four Sentenced for Forging Over 2,000 Marriage Documents to Facilitate Illegal UK Immigration
Four individuals have been sentenced for their roles in forging over 2,000 marriage certificates to assist people in illegally staying in the UK.Â
Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Tuesday.
According to the Home Office, the four were part of an organized criminal network that falsified documents for Nigerian nationals seeking to exploit the EU Settlement Scheme. Their activities, which took place from March 2019 to May of the previous year, involved creating fake Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to assist applicants in staying in the UK.
An investigation conducted by the Home Office in the UK and in Lagos revealed that the group, consisting of Nigerian nationals, had facilitated the creation of over 2,000 fake marriage documents.
Paul Moran, Chief Immigration Officer at the Home Office, stated, “This group was exceptionally prolific in their efforts to exploit our immigration system, and they have been rightfully brought to justice. As is common with such gangs, their primary motivation was financial gain. I am pleased that we were able to dismantle their operation, and I hope these convictions serve as a warning to other unscrupulous groups that prey on individuals desperate to remain in the UK.”
Onifade, from Gravesend in Kent, and Shodipo, from Manchester, were convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to supply items used in fraud. Onifade was sentenced to six years, while Shodipo received a five-year sentence.
Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was found guilty of obtaining leave to remain through deception and committing fraud by false representation, and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Kabir, from London, was convicted of possessing an identity document with improper intent but was acquitted of the charge related to obtaining leave to remain by deception. He was sentenced to nine months in prison.
