By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
A Woolwich Crown Court in London has sentenced four Nigerians, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, to prison for forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates that allowed people to live in the European nation illegally, Sky News says.
The convicts reportedly belonged to a criminal gang that made fraudulent EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerians between March 2019 and May 2023.
They were also found to have provided false Nigerian customary marriage certificates and other fraudulent documentation to help applicants remain in the UK.
A UK Home Office investigation found more than 2,000 false marriage documents were facilitated by the group.
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 and 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, while Kabir, from London, bagged a nine-month prison sentence after being found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Home Office 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.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who prey on vulnerable people to make money.”