For creating fake marriage certificates that allowed Nigerians to live illegally in the United Kingdom, four Nigerian nationals have been sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment.
The group, consisting of Abraham Alade Olarotimi Onifade, 41, Abayomi Aderinsoye Shodipo, 38, Nosimot Mojisola Gbadamosi, 31, and Adekunle Kabir, 54, made fraudulent applications for Nigerian citizens between March 2019 and May last year.
According to the Foreign News outlet, Evening Standard, the suspects were all convicted and sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court.
The sentences ranged from nine months to six years, reflecting the severity of their crimes.
The gang allegedly supplied counterfeit Nigerian Customary Marriage Certificates and other bogus documents to facilitate fraudulent applications by Nigerian nationals aiming to stay in the UK through the EU Settlement Scheme, as reported by the news outlet.
A joint investigation by the Home Office and its Lagos, Nigeria, team uncovered over 2,000 fake marriage documents.
The conviction of Onifade and Shodipo included conspiring to facilitate illegal UK entry and providing fraudulent documents.
Gbadamosi was convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception and fraud by false representation, while Kabir was found guilty of possession of an identity document with improper intention but was cleared of obtaining leave to remain by deception.
Onifade and Shodipo were sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively.
Gbadamosi and Kabir received shorter sentences, with 18 months and nine months imprisonment, respectively.
Paul Moran, the chief immigration officer at the Home Office, hailed the convictions as a significant victory and warned that gangs that exploit vulnerable individuals for financial gain will face justice.
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.”
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