Nigerian jailed in UK for fake marriage

A Nigerian, Abraham Akinola, 32, also known as Gafar Makanjuola, and his partner, Roqsilmar Marti, 28, a lesbian from Netherlands, have been jailed by a court in the United Kingdom for conspiracy to enter into fake marriage.

Akinola attempted to go into a contractual marriage with Marti, an European citizen to secure his stay in London, United Kingdom.

Akinola and his supposed wife-to-be, Roqsilmar’s plan of getting married on August 25 last year at St. John’s Church, Tilbury, Essex in the United Kingdom, was thwarted by security operatives tipped off by the church priest, Father Tim Colding, after he suspected a foul play in their wedding plans when the couple made an application on June 6 last year.

Abraham gave two different addresses on the wedding paper.

The priest noticed a problem with the paperwork and tipped off the Essex Police and Borders Agency officials.

On the morning of the wedding, police officers and borders agency official already hiding in the vestry, waited for Marti, who dressed in a dark suit and white blouse to walk up the aisle, to later be joined by her husband and both were arrested moments before they were due to exchange their vows.

Reports had it that Akinola’s case was not the first time Colding had given away suspicious couples planning for their wedding, he had reported more than 60 cases to the police as the priest believed that fraudsters were targeting his church because of its growing ethnic diversity.

The presiding judge, John Lodge, said Akinola wanted to gain from the marriage by staying in the UK, but for Marti, it was for financial gain.

Akinola claimed he had suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of his family during his childhood and had fled Nigeria for a new life in the UK.

If the marriage to an European citizen was successful, he would have gained the right to live, work and claim benefits in Britain.

Marti, who had been involved in a lesbian relationship for the past eight years left her partner and travelled to the UK, but it was her worried partner who found her missing for days that reported her to the police on her wedding day.

Marti was reportedly promised £2,000 for her role in the sham marriage which she was said to be planning to use it to pay for her sick father’s medical bills.

Detective Sergeant Andy Harvey of Essex Police said after the arrests in August: “Sham weddings are big business with the organisers charging £10,000 or more to arrange ceremonies and to pay ‘brides’ and ‘witnesses’.

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