4 Nigerians jailed for forging 2,000 marriage certificates in UK

Four Nigerians, Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41; Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38; Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, have been jailed for forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates to help people stay in the UK illegally.

The entire gang was sentenced on Tuesday at Woolwich Crown Court in London.

According to the Ministry of Interior, the four were part of an organised criminal group that submitted fraudulent applications for the EU Settlement Scheme for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023.

They operated the enterprise between March 2019 and May last year and were also found to have provided fake Nigerian marriage certificates and other fraudulent documentation to help applicants remain in the country.

Investigations by the British Home Office and Lagos State found that the group, which was Nigerian itself, distributed more than 2,000 false marriage documents.

Paul Moran, the Home Office’s head of immigration, said: “This group were absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse our borders and have rightly been brought to justice.

“Like many of the gangs we come across, their only priority was financial gain. I am delighted that my team were able to disrupt their operation and I hope these convictions will serve as a warning to unscrupulous gangs who prey on people’s desperation to remain in the UK.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and tackle the gangs that exploit vulnerable people for profit.”

Onifade, from Gravesend in Kent, and Shodipo, from Manchester, were both found guilty of conspiracy to facilitate unlawful entry into the UK and conspiracy to supply items for fraud. They were jailed for six and five years respectively.

Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was convicted of obtaining a residence permit by deception and fraud by false representation and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Kabir, from London, was found guilty of possessing an identity document with improper intent, but was acquitted of obtaining a residence permit by deception. He was sentenced to nine months in prison.