2 Nigerians jailed for conducting sham marriages in UK

isaac

February 4, 2015 11:23 AM

Two Nigerians who have been organising sham marriages in the United Kingdom have been sent to jail.

Two Nigerian men, Joseph Iwueke, 33, and Obinna Odelugo, 49, have been jailed in Britain for organising sham marriages with Slovakian women, all in a bid to gain legal residence permit in the UK.

Daily Mail reports that Iwueke was to marry Slovakian Ingrida Stojkova, 29, so he could stay in Britain while Odelugo and a Slovakian, Robert Stojka, were arrested for fixing the weddings for cash.

Iwueke and Stojkova were both arrested moments before their fake wedding was due to start after officials at a pre-marriage meeting noticed the groom reading details about his supposed bride from the back of his hand.

When challenged, the 'couple' couldn't tell officials about each other. The pair and two 'fixers' have now been jailed for immigration offences.

Odelugo and Stojka were arrested at the ceremony and found in possession of bundles of cash.

They were described as the 'fixers' who arranged the fake wedding for financial gain.

Odelugo ran from the ceremony room in West Yorkshire but was found hiding in a toilet cubicle.

The fake groom, Iwueke, was jailed for two years and nine months while his 'bride', Stojkova, was given a 15-month sentence after they pleaded guilty to to conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law.

Master fixer, Odelugo, and Stojka, were both given sentences of two years and three months after also admitting conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law.

isaac