Four Nigerians have been sentenced to prison in the UK after being found guilty of forging more than 2,000 marriage certificates to facilitate illegal residency. The convicted individuals—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.
According to the UK Home Office, the group was part of an organized criminal network that fraudulently processed EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023. They provided false Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other fraudulent documents to help individuals stay in the UK.
Chief Immigration Officer Paul Moran stated that the group prioritized financial gain, exploiting people’s desperation to remain in the UK. “This group was absolutely prolific in their desire to abuse our borders and have rightly been brought to justice,” Moran said, adding that the convictions should serve as a deterrent to other criminal gangs.
Onifade, from Gravesend, and Shodipo, from Manchester, were each sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry and provide articles used in fraud. Gbadamosi, from Bolton, was sentenced to six years for obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation. Kabir, from London, received a nine-month sentence for possessing an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
The convictions underscore the UK’s ongoing efforts to secure its borders and crack down on criminal activities that exploit vulnerable individuals.
