Three Nigerians were yesterday jailed for a total of 18-and-a-half years for setting up a fake educational institution, called Bogus Colleges, to help illegal immigrants remain in the United Kingdom. The UK Border Agency’s London Immigration Crime Team, told the prosecution that its investigations revealed the dirty deals of the three, which include a husband and wife, Tiamiyu and Christiana Bello, aged 75 and 67 respectively, and a 39-year-old solicitor, Adeyinka Adeniran.
The couple were arrested following a raid on a property on New Cross Road in South London in July 2007, while Mr. Adeniran was later arrested following a search of his office on Old Kent Road. The sentence yesterday followed an 11-week trial at Croydon Crown Court, where the Bellos were found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to possess articles for use in fraud. They were both sentenced to five years in prison each. Mr. Adeniran was also found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration, which the judge described as a “disgrace to his profession.” He was sentenced to eight and a half years behind bars.
Revelations
The UK Border’s Agency said its raid on Mr. And Mrs. Bello’s office, which was registered to the address of “Academic College of Education” and the “Academic College of Training and Recruitment”, institutions for which the Bellos were the principals, led to the seizures of documents. The UK Border’s Agency said its raid on Mr. And Mrs. Bello’s office, which was registered to the address of “Academic College of Education” and the “Academic College of Training and Recruitment”, institutions for which the Bellos were the principals, led to the seizures of documents.
“During a search, a large number of documents were seized, including letters purporting to be from the Academic College of Education and counterfeit qualification certificates. Many of the files seized from that address contained documentation from the Bellos’ college. Officers soon discovered that the building was a collection of bedsits and there was no evidence of lessons being taught there,” the agency said.
UK officers told the court that though the scam had been on for many years, the entirety of the business structure totally, “involved the supply of fake qualification documents which were then used to support visa applications to the Home Office. Many applicants were then represented by Mr. Adeniran through his legal practice.”
Chris Foster, who leads the London Immigration Crime Team for the UK Border Agency, described the structure as “a sophisticated criminal enterprise, which had the explicit aim of helping those who had no right to be in the UK evade immigration controls. As this case shows, illegal immigration can be big business. I hope this sends out a message that we are committed to tackling the criminal groups behind it, putting the ringleaders before the courts, and, ultimately, behind bars.”
Posted: at 15-12-2010 01:28 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
walerian at 15-12-2010 01:38 PM (13 years ago) (m)
why not just kill them instead of 18.5 yrs?
Posted: at 15-12-2010 01:38 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
mediaexcell at 15-12-2010 03:38 PM (13 years ago) (m)
wen will this greedy fools stop tarnishing our good image here,, they should have deported them to serve their jail terms in nigeria, to hell with them...
Posted: at 15-12-2010 03:38 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Commonsense at 15-12-2010 05:23 PM (13 years ago) (m)
That is very good for them. There are still lots of them like that in the UK, they will be caught one after the other. The conservative govt. is not joking about it like the previous Labour govt.
Posted: at 15-12-2010 05:23 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
everkindboy at 15-12-2010 09:53 PM (13 years ago) (m)
They know how to investigate visa and immigration matters, but they dont know how to investigate several politicians stealing our money and investing it in british society. Many of them have companies and so much money in british banks. They are blind to that one. They know they are benefitting from those people.
Please let somebody help me to tell the British to also focus on and carry out investigation on several Nigeria politicians buying properties and having conpanies in the U.K. They should have this as part of their focus.
Posted: at 15-12-2010 09:53 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
everkindboy at 15-12-2010 10:01 PM (13 years ago) (m)
Please Naijapals, in case you have access, help me to tell the British that in as much as its good to investigate and prosecute these people involved in visa scam, it is also good to include several Nigeria politicians buying properties, having companies, and stealing Nigeria,s wealth in their investigation. It will please us to know that these politicians having billions of pounds in Britain are part of their investigation. They should be wise enough to focus on this area too.
Posted: at 15-12-2010 10:01 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
TOCHI4LOVE at 15-12-2010 10:28 PM (13 years ago) (m)
Quote from: everkindboy on 15-12-2010 10:01 PM
Please Naijapals, in case you have access, help me to tell the British that in as much as its good to investigate and prosecute these people involved in visa scam, it is also good to include several Nigeria politicians buying properties, having companies, and stealing Nigeria,s wealth in their investigation. It will please us to know that these politicians having billions of pounds in Britain are part of their investigation. They should be wise enough to focus on this area too.
BRITISH? huh THAY WILL NOT TALK ABOUT THAT ONE OOOOOOO
Posted: at 15-12-2010 10:28 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
walerian
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onyin
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