A four-member Nigerian gang has been sentenced to a combined total of 13 years in prison for forging over 2,000 marriage certificates, enabling individuals to illegally reside in the UK.
According to the Evening Standard, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were involved in submitting fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between March 2019 and May last year, as reported by the Home Office.
The organized crime group provided fake Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to support the applications, helping the nationals remain in the UK.
A Home Office investigation, both in the UK and through its international operations based in Lagos, Nigeria, uncovered more than 2,000 fake marriage documents.
Onifade and Shodipo were found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud following a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Gbadamosi was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation, while Kabir was found guilty of possessing an identity document with improper intention but was acquitted of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
On Tuesday, 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, and Kabir, from London, was jailed for nine months.
Paul Moran, Chief Immigration Officer at the Home Office, stated, “This group was prolific in their efforts 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.”