Exactly a week ago after the news of
Nigerian couple arrested in the UK
for falsely claiming about £43,000 in benefits was brought to our readers. The
story elicited much fury from readers who were
disappointed at the bad image they portrayed
about Nigerians abroad.
It is therefore saddening to read news of yet
another Nigerian couple arrested in the UK for
securing £87,000 from fraudulent claims totalling
£3.8million over four years.
Adeola Thomas, 38, and his partner, Abimbola
Abiola, 34, managed to pocket £87,000 after
using 1,400 stolen identities to complete 2,495
handwritten tax and benefits claims forms.
And just like the other couple that was reported
to have lavishly spent the money on a house in
Nigeria, the pair spent the money on designer
clothing and electrical items including a 50-inch
plasma television.
The fraud was discovered when benefits staff
at HM Revenue & Customs noticed they had
received multiple tax credit claims from the same
addresses. Subsequently, an investigation was
launched.
Thomas’ hand-written application forms were
analysed, computer records were checked, and
hours of recorded calls to the Tax Credit Helpline
were listened to and a surveillance operation was
carried out. The HRMC investigators viewed CCTV
footage showing activity outside various North
London Post Office ATMs.
Thomas was eventually arrested at a cash point
outside a Post Office in Hackney on October 7th
last year. He was found to be in possession of 17
Post Office account cards in different names, two
mobile phones and two fraudulently completed
forms addressed to Jobcentre Plus.
When Abiola was arrested later the same day, she
had £4,125 in her handbag. The mother-of-one
claimed the money was her child benefit
payment.
Daily Mail reports that the pair, who carried out
the scam between January 3, 2007 and October
7, 2011, tried to claim £827,000 from HMRC,
securing £43,000. They also claimed £3 million
from the Department of Work and Pensions and
received £44,000.
With Abiola’s help, Thomas used stolen personal
details to complete 2,495 handwritten application
forms, which were sent to the appropriate
departments for processing.
Thomas, who also happens to be an illegal
immigrant pleaded guilty to three counts of
conspiracy to defraud and money laundering
offences. Abiola, a Nigerian national with leave to
remain in the UK was also found guilty of four
counts of conspiracy to defraud, money
laundering and possession of criminal property.
They were both sentenced to jail this week.
Thomas was sentenced to seven years in jail while
Abiola received two-and-a-half years sentence.
The Judge who read his sentence indicated
Thomas should be deported after serving his time
in the UK.
