FOUR individuals have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in forging over 2,000 marriage certificates to facilitate illegal immigration into the UK. The group, consisting of 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.
The UK Home Office  (interior ministry) revealed that the four were part of an organised criminal network that orchestrated fraudulent applications to the EU Settlement Scheme on behalf of Nigerian nationals. Their illegal operations, which ran from March 2019 to May 2022, involved providing false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other counterfeit documents to help applicants remain in the UK.
A joint investigation by the Home Office in the UK and Lagos uncovered that the group had facilitated more than 2,000 fake marriage documents. The group members, all of whom are Nigerian, were found guilty of various charges related to immigration fraud.
Paul Moran, the Home Office’s chief immigration officer, commented on the case: ‘This group was relentless in their efforts to exploit our borders for financial gain. Their conviction serves as a strong warning to other criminal gangs who seek to take advantage of vulnerable individuals to profit from illegal immigration. We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and bring such criminals to justice.’
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 fraudulent documents. They were sentenced to six years and five years in prison, respectively.
Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation, resulting in a six-year prison sentence. Kabir, from London, was found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention, though he was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception. He received a nine-month prison sentence.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts by UK authorities to crack down on criminal networks that exploit immigration systems for profit. The successful prosecution of these individuals demonstrates the commitment of the Home Office to protecting the integrity of the UK’s borders.
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