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A former Home Office worker was today under investigation for “marrying” his daughter so she would be allowed to live in Britain.
Jelili Adesanya, originally from Nigeria, allegedly fooled immigration officials by faking a wedding ceremony. But it is claimed the marriage was a scam to get his daughter Karimotu Adenike a permanent right to remain in the country.
It is believed the pair, who are living in Dagenham, will then divorce. After this, Miss Adenike will re-marry her real husband, who is still living in Nigeria with their four children, and try to get them all visas.
The Home Office is investigating the allegations. It is claimed it was first tipped off about the scam two years ago but did nothing.
Until recently, Mr Adesanya, 54, who has lived here since 1976 and has a British passport, was working as an occupational health nurse with immigration officials at Gatwick Airport.
A whistleblower says he sent letters to the British High Commission in the Nigerian capital of Lagos and to the UK Border Agency to inform them of the fraud. Names, addresses, passport numbers and even a wedding photograph was supplied.
After there was no response, he sent emails to then home secretary Jacqui Smith and ministers Vernon Coaker and Phil Woolas on 1 February. But he still heard nothing back.
The source claims Mr Adesanya flew back to Nigeria on 29 May 2007 and held the bogus ceremony a few days later at a register office in Lagos.
“They paid people to attend the wedding so that the British High Commission in Lagos would believe it was genuine,” he said. “The commission then gave Karimotu Adenike a two-year settlement visa in October 2007.
“On her settlement visa form, of course, she did not mention that she already had a husband and four children. The date of birth on her Nigerian passport is not her real date of birth.”
It is believed Miss Adenike, who is in her mid-30s, added 10 years to her real age to shorten the gap between her and her father. Her settlement visa expired last month and she is now hoping to be given the right to remain. Mr Adesanya denied the plot and says he has never been questioned about it.
He said: “Married my own daughter? I have never heard anything like this in my life. I deny it. She is my wife, not my daughter.”
Deputy chief executive of the UK Border Agency Jonathan Sedgwick said: “If we identify marriages which we believe are not genuine, we will prosecute.”
Reader views (29)
Weird.But who's fault?
- Jay, Nigeria
give england back to the english...if not would the last one kindly turn the lights out for good
- Scony, middlesbrough
The ignorance and apathy in Gordon Brown's haters is staggering. How could Gordon Brown, the labour party or any political party in Government have prevented a legally domiciled person in the Uk from making claims perceived as a ploy to circumvent the immigration system?
So many people have joined the bandwagon of blame and immigrant bashing without knowing the veracity of these claims. so many immigrant haters in this country are living off state benefits generated from taxes of millions of immigrant workers and businesses.
- B Osmond, London, Uk
Britain, the immigration whore of Europe. Who would ever have believed such things twenty years ago?
- N. Waters, Mississauga, Canada
Having read all comments I am amazed at the very many conclusions drawn on here. Are they really guilty? Let the court decide. They are not guilty until proven by the court of law.
- W Jaja, London, UK
What can I say,I think the immigration officers both in the Uk and every country should be investigated.They have all at one time or the other collected bribe just to do this things for people.My own example I honestly wanted to study in the UK and my Visa was refused,why?the Visa officer claimed that the statements I submitted were not authentic,my question is did he/she even bother to verify from the so called bank before declaring it was fake,did you even try to pick up the phone?Now some funny guy who gets fake school documents from the UK stating that all his fees have been payed and he has all he needs is given a student visa,only for him to attend the school for some weeks and starts to work with the visa,can you beat that?I think it serves the immigration right and this is just the beginning of the whole exposure.If complaints had been heeded asap this won't have come up.The bad eggs are admitted because they seem to be smarter and the good ones are refused and they decide to join the bad eggs since the can't seem to get their way telling the truth.One other thing is has the immigration office tried to verify the number of people who enter the UK with Visiting Visas who after six months are still no where to be found arround the departure areas in London aiports......
- Pinky, Nigerian
in a recent report it stated that Aussies and Kiwis are the people who mostly overstay their visit here in the UK. These people are under the rader because as they are white cacasian with mainstream/regular sounding names they hardly get noticed.
- Don Raj, West london, England
I agree completely with P Staker, London. How strange that no one noticed that he worked in the immigration dept- shows just how sloppy the whole system of checking into immigrants is but there again why even have an immigration department when it is just a farce.
Why not just let everyone marry their son, daughter etc and then all and sundry can stay in the UK - but probably that has been happening for years
- Elizabeth Taylor, dallas tx
mmm...Have you been to your local newsagent or petrol station lately? Ask what the attendant's surname is. I'm sure all ethnic minorities in this country are guilty of this in one way or the other. Nigeria and India were the largest British colonies - their people ALL want to come here - it doesn't matter how, just go and check out the British embassies in those countries, they process thousands of applications everyday. Unfortunately - this is the cost of 'Great britain'.
- Nigerianbrit 'Adey', London, UK
70 million in twenty years?It's obvious to everyone except Brown and his even dumber cronies that already more than 70 million people are domiciled here! Practice sleeping in an upright position everyone because before long you will have to!
- Alan, Chigwell.
Welcome to Britain , thank you for upholding our proud and noble heritage
Enjoy your married life and we look forward to welcoming you 300 close relatives soon
- Dixon Kipretich, Ugley, Essex
If you marry a man from another country; you should go and live with that man in his own country, as the man is generally considered the family bread winner etc.
This equals out fairly, as women from abroad can do likewise etc.
This would also help stop women from the UK being forced to marry aliens from abroad etc.
- Mickinlondon, london
Revoke his citizenship and send him, his daughter and all the other benefit scroungers in his family back to their beloved NIGERIA.
- Richard, Hastings
".. first tipped off about the scam two years ago but did nothing."
Labour's immigration policy at it's best; and he works for the Home Office, no surprises there. Smith and all the other failed Home Secretaries were to busy adding up their expenses receipts to give a damn.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
They should both be thrown out
- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh UK
Must live in Norfolk
- June, London
This country is a Joke! ELECTIONS PLEASE!
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
that's just weird.
- Scotty, London
Is anyone actually surprised at this? This one just happened to make the news. The games go on everywhere and endlessly under the Labour regime. After 12 years, what a total total mess they have made of this European province. Bring on the provincial election!!
- Phil Jones, London UK
Jacqui Smith was probably too busy doing her expenses.
- Mike, London
Well, somebody has to vote labour.
- Jimbob, Kensington
No doubt a lot of time, effort and legal costs will be incurred investigating this case - then, even if guilty, nothing will be done to the people involved because of some human rights law or simply because the powers that be just can't be arsed to enforce the laws of our country.
This story is just the tip of the iceberg of the whole rotten marriage immigration business.
Next time you get a parking or speeding ticket, compare the speed and ruthless efficiency with which you will be relieved of your money and awarded points on your licence, with the marvellous ineffiency of the Home Office in dealing with immigration fraud - then remember who is working in the Home Office!
The problem is the next government is likely to be just as bad as the current one in sorting out the mess at the Home Office and it just seeems we are powerless to change the system.
- Stephen, London, England
Surely a simple DNA test would resolve the issue once and for all? Oh, but that would probably violate their human rights wouldn't it?
- Bob, Cheam
Deport her and strip him of his citizenship.
People who obtain citizenship on the basis of false information, should have it withdrawn. I know someone who claimed asylum (and later became a citizen) on the grounds that his life was in danger in his home country.
As soon as he had a British passport we went back there to work! (while claiming benefits here, by the way). Do the authorities care? No.
- Beatriz, London
No-one will be surprised at this story, and no-one expects a satifactory outcome of this story.
Unfortunately no-one seems to expect little better from the next Government.
Lions led by donkeys has never meant more.
- Roger, Devon
Get them to have a good snog in public. That should sort it one way or t'other.
- Sasch, London
Why I am not in the least surprised by this?
- Kedge, marlboro wilts uk
The Government will do nothing other than huff & puff.
He must be prosecuted.
She must be thrown out.
Officials involved must be sacked.
This country is the receptacle of the dregs of of the world,due to NuLabour
- British Not Racist, Reading
The irony of it all, he works for the immigration service as well.
Strip him of his citizenship, and deport the pair of them.
- P Staker, London
