A Crown Court in Woolwich, London, United Kingdom , has jailed four Nigerians for forging over 2000 marriage certificates.
The marriage certificates were forged to help people live illegally in the United Kingdom. Reports said the culprits include Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31 and Adekunle Kabir, 54.
They were sentenced by the court on Tuesday after they were found guilty of the offence.
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 and five years respectively.
Gbadamosi resident of Bolton, was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation and sentenced to six years.
The Home Office, according to agency reports, described the four Nigerians, as members of an organised criminal gang who made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023.
The reports said the criminal act was committed between March 2019 and May 2023.
They were found to have provided false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to help applicants remain in the UK.
The report added that an investigation by the Home Office in the UK and Lagos discovered over 2,000 fake marriage documents facilitated by the criminal gang.
Paul Moran, Home Office chief immigration officer was quoted saying, “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.
“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 report quoted Moran further. Kabir 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.
Credit: Agency report