Four individuals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a large-scale operation that forged over 2,000 marriage certificates to help people live in the UK illegally. The convictions were handed down on Tuesday at Woolwich Crown Court in London.
The four individuals, all Nigerians, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, and Adekunle Kabir, were found guilty of various crimes related to immigration fraud. The operation they were involved in ran from March 2019 to May 2023 and primarily targeted Nigerian nationals seeking to remain in the UK under false pretenses.
According to the Home Office, the group was part of an organised criminal network that facilitated fraudulent applications for the EU Settlement Scheme. They provided false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other forged documents to assist applicants in securing residency or extending their stay in the UK.
Paul Moran, the chief immigration officer at the Home Office, expressed his satisfaction with the convictions. “This group was absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse our borders and have rightly been brought to justice,” Moran said.
“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.”
The sentences for the four individuals varied based on their roles and the severity of their offenses:
Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, from Gravesend in Kent, was sentenced to six years in prison. He was found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud.
Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, from Manchester, was sentenced to five years in prison. Like Onifade, Shodipo was convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry and conspiracy to provide fraudulent articles.
Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, from Bolton, was sentenced to six years. She was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation. Adekunle Kabir, 54, from London, received a nine-month sentence. He was found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
The fraudulent scheme operated by these four individuals was part of a broader trend of immigration fraud that exploits legal loopholes and vulnerable populations. The EU Settlement Scheme was designed to allow EU nationals to continue living and working in the UK following Brexit. However, the scheme also became a target for fraudsters who saw it as an opportunity to profit by facilitating illegal immigration.
The investigation into the group was a joint effort by the Home Office in the UK and authorities in Lagos, Nigeria. The discovery of over 2,000 forged marriage documents was a significant finding, highlighting the scale and impact of the operation.
