By Chukwuemeka Umesi
Kindly share this news
Four individuals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a large-scale forgery operation that created over 2,000 fake marriage certificates. These counterfeit documents were used to facilitate illegal immigration to the United Kingdom.
Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Tuesday.
The Home Office said the four made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023. They were all sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday
The Home Office said the four were part of an organised criminal group that made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals.
An investigation from the Home Office in the UK and Lagos found more than 2,000 false marriage documents were facilitated by the group, who themselves were Nigerian. Chief immigration officer Paul Moran said: “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 Paul Moran Said. Onifade, from Gravesend in Kent, and Shodipo, from Manchester, were both found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and conspiracy to provide articles used in fraud. They were jailed for six years and five years respectively.
Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation and sentenced to six years.
Kabir, from London, was found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception. He was jailed for nine months.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money.”
The forgery operation was uncovered by the UK’s Immigration Enforcement agency, which launched an investigation after noticing a surge in suspicious marriage certificates. The agency worked closely with the police to apprehend the culprits and dismantle the forgery ring.
This case highlights the ongoing efforts of UK authorities to combat immigration fraud and protect the integrity of the country’s immigration systems. Source Skynews