Four Nigerians have been jailed for forging over 2,000 marriage certificates to help people live illegally in the UK. Abraham Onifade, Abayomi Shodipo, Nosimot Gbadamosi, and Adekunle Kabir were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London. The group created fake EU Settlement Scheme applications for Nigerian nationals between 2019 and 2023, using false marriage certificates and other fraudulent documents.
The UK Home Office revealed that the group, all Nigerians, facilitated more than 2,000 fake marriage documents. Their scheme ran from March 2019 to May 2023. Home Office chief immigration officer Paul Moran stated that the group’s main focus was financial gain and praised the team for intercepting their operation. He warned other gangs that exploit vulnerable people that they will face justice.
Onifade and Shodipo received six and five-year sentences for conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK. Gbadamosi was sentenced to six years for fraud, while Kabir was sentenced to nine months for possessing a false identity document.