Nigerian Lied To Get UK Citizenship For Two Mystery Babies

A Nigerian woman, who lied in an attempt to bring two mystery babies into the UK by pretending she was their biological mother, has received a suspended prison sentence.

Ijeoma Udechukwu, 51, of Dante Road, Elephant and Castle, is resident in this country and tried to trick the British High Commission in Lagos into granting two passports for the infants.

She received six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and was ordered to peform 180 hours community service work.

Udechukwa was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court of facilitating unlawful immigration.

She applied in Nigeria for passports for the babies – falsely claiming they were hers – and was unable to produce any genuine ante natal or delivery notes.

A DNA test revealed she was not the biological mother of either infant and the applications were refused.

Udechukwu returned to the UK leaving the babies in the care of family and friends. 



On September 4, 2012 officers from Operation Paladin attended Udechukwa's address where false Nigerian adoption papers were discovered stating the children had been found abandoned in the street.



She refused to answer any questions about her lies to staff at the British High Commission and also refused to confirm how she came into possession of the babies or where their biological mother was. 



Detective Constable Tony Foran, from the Metropolitan Police's Sexual Exploitation Team, said: "This is just one example of the commitment of officers to investigate offences involving children and the risk facing them from people willing to deceive authorities and break the law. 



"Adoption laws and procedures are in place in every country to protect the welfare and lives of vulnerable children and young people.

“The conviction of Udechukwu underpins the value of joint working and the commitment of all those agencies involved to safeguard children."