Four Nigerians have been sentenced to a combined 13 years in the UK for forging over 2,000 marriage certificates, enabling illegal residency.
The convicted individuals—Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41; Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38; Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31; and Adekunle Kabir, 54—were part of a notorious gang that exploited the EU Settlement Scheme to help Nigerian nationals secure illegal residency in the UK. Their crimes, spanning from March 2019 to May 2023, were exposed after a rigorous investigation by the UK Home Office in collaboration with international operations in Lagos, Nigeria.
The gang’s operation involved producing counterfeit Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to back up false residency claims. Their scheme was finally dismantled, leading to their arrest and subsequent conviction at Woolwich Crown Court.
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The sentences handed down ranged from nine months to six years. Onifade, hailing from Gravesend, received the harshest sentence of six years, while Shodipo from Manchester was sentenced to five years. Gbadamosi from Bolton was sentenced to 18 months, and Kabir from London received a nine-month prison term.
Paul Moran, Chief Immigration Officer at the Home Office, lauded the convictions as a decisive blow against criminal networks exploiting the UK’s immigration system. “This gang was relentless in their attempts to abuse our borders for financial gain. Their conviction sends a clear message: those who seek to exploit vulnerable individuals and undermine our immigration laws will be brought to justice,” Moran stated.
