Four British-Nigerians have been sentenced to prison by Woolwich Crown Court for their involvement in a massive forgery operation. The scheme, which produced over 2,000 counterfeit marriage documents, aimed to help Nigerian nationals circumvent UK immigration laws and remain in the country illegally
The convicts identified as Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were all sentenced on Tuesday, 27 August, 2024.
Onifade was handed a six-year jail term, while Shodipo received a five-year sentence for conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud.
According to the UK home office, the four convicts were part of an organised criminal gang that produced fraudulent EU settlement scheme applications for Nigerians based in the country.
It was gathered that the four fraudulent convicts carried out the scheme between March 2019 and May 2023.
According to reports, the convicts provided false customary marriage certificates and other fraudulent documentation.
A joint investigation by the UK Home Office and Lagos authorities has revealed a shocking forgery ring involving over 2,000 false marriage documents.
The probe exposed a group facilitating fake marriage certificates, enabling individuals to exploit UK immigration laws.
The investigation further proved that the group orchestrated a large-scale forgery scheme, creating counterfeit documents to help Nigerian nationals remain in the UK.
Their findings however led to the prosecution and sentencing of four British-Nigerians involved in the scam.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of the UK Home Office to combat immigration fraud and protect the integrity of the country's borders.
Meanwhile, the successful investigation has demonstrated the effectiveness of international collaboration in tackling complex cases of document forgery and immigration abuse.
Paul Moran, home office chief immigration officer while addressing the situation said the gang was “absolutely prolific” in its activities to “abuse” UK border laws.
“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,” Moran said.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money.”
