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Foreign news.
A Nigerian national, Oluwabunmi Adeleiyi, has been sentenced to jail in the United Kingdom after admitting to impersonating a healthcare worker and defrauding the National Health Service (NHS) of £16,000 within just 30 days.
Our correspondent gathered that the convict, who was in the UK on a student visa, appeared before a British court where he faced a four-count charge of fraud by false representation.
The court heard that the defendant fraudulently secured employment in two health facilities,Neath Port Talbot Hospital and the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend,using a fake identification card.
Prosecutors told the court that Adeleiyi, who resided in Canton, Cardiff, never attended school as required under his visa conditions.
Instead, the convict assumed the identity of a registered healthcare support worker who had earlier fled the UK to Nigeria, using a forged passport.
The court was told that by exploiting the stolen identity, Adeleiyi gained access to sensitive hospital environments, working as a healthcare support staff despite lacking the requisite qualifications.
Within a month, the convict had unlawfully earned £16,000 from the NHS, the prosecutors added
Delivering judgment, Recorder Mark Powell, KC, condemned the act, stressing the grave risks posed by the defendant’s conduct.
“You put the patients at risk… you put staff at risk,” the judge said, highlighting the potential danger of allowing unqualified individuals to operate within healthcare settings.
In an emotional plea for leniency, Adeleiyi admitted guilt and expressed remorse for his actions.
“I know I am guilty. I was too desperate to beat the system and live a comfortable life in the United Kingdom. A friend of mine from Nigeria lured me into it. Please forgive me, temper justice with mercy. I won’t do it again,” he told the court.
The court sentenced him to 10 months’ imprisonment on each of the four counts, to run concurrently. However, the sentence was suspended for two years.
In addition, Adeleiyi was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid community service.
The also expected to face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about identity fraud and the vulnerability of public institutions, particularly in critical sectors such as healthcare.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
