Four Nigerians have been sentenced to a combined 17 years and nine months in prison by a United Kingdom court for their roles in a fraudulent scheme involving thousands of fake Nigerian marriage documents used to facilitate illegal immigration.
The four were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after being found to have participated in a network that allegedly produced more than 2,000 forged Nigerian customary marriage certificates between 2019 and 2023. The fake documents were reportedly used to support applications under the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme, enabling people who were otherwise ineligible to obtain 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 five years for the same offences.
Gbadamosi was sentenced to six years after being convicted of obtaining leave to remain by deception. Kabir received a nine-month prison sentence for possession of a false identity document. The case highlights the serious criminal and immigration consequences of using forged documents to obtain UK immigration status.
