Adebayo Adenrele
Four Nigerians have been sentenced to a combined 17 years and nine months in prison by a United Kingdom court for their involvement in a fraudulent scheme that produced thousands of fake marriage documents to help Nigerians obtain UK residency illegally.
The convicts were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after being found to have participated in a network that allegedly forged more than 2,000 Nigerian customary marriage certificates between 2019 and 2023.
The fraudulent documents were reportedly used to support applications under the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme, enabling individuals who were not otherwise eligible to secure immigration status in the country.
The convicts were identified as Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41; Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38; Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31; and Adekunle Kabir, 54.
Onifade was sentenced to six years in prison for conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry and fraud, while Shodipo received a five-year sentence for conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry and fraud.
Gbadamosi, 31, was sentenced to six years after being convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Kabir, 54, received a nine-month prison sentence for possession of a false identity document.
