Jobseekers Eyeing Care Jobs Abroad Lose Millions To Canada-based Nigerian

• Kayode Stephen, a Nigerian based in Canada, accused of defrauding several people of millions seeking care jobs in the UK

• Victims paid Stephen millions of naira for certificates of sponsorship (CoS) needed to secure care jobs, but received fake documents or nothing

• Over 1,000 Nigerians duped with fake employment letters for UK jobs, according to the International Organization for Migration

Eko Hot Blog reports that a Nigerian based in Canada, Kayode Stephen, has been accused of defrauding several people of millions of naira under the pretext of getting them certificates of sponsorship (CoS) for care jobs in the United Kingdom.

Anjola, an accountant trainee in the UK, narrated how she paid Stephen £12,000 for training and a CoS for her boyfriend in Turkey.

However, Stephen provided a fake CoS, leading to a 10-year visa ban for her boyfriend. “He gave my boyfriend a fake CoS, which he used to unknowingly apply for a visa, and got a 10-year visa ban from the UK,” Anjola said.

Another victim, Adekoya, alleged that he paid Stephen £8,000 through a Nigerian lawyer, Peniela Akintujoye, who claimed Stephen could secure a CoS.

“I later discovered that he gave my money to the same person I had advised him to withdraw the Birmingham application from,” Adekoya said.

Tosin Ojelabi, a Nigerian living in the UAE, also claimed he paid over N7 million to Stephen for a CoS to relocate to the UK with his wife, but never received it. “The plan was to travel with my wife to the UK and start a family. Since Akintujoye is a lawyer and pastor, I felt that I could entrust him with my money,” Ojelabi said.

In December 2023, the International Organization for Migration stated that over 1,000 Nigerians had been duped with fake employment letters and other documents for jobs in the UK.

The victims united in a WhatsApp group and implicated Akintujoye as Stephen’s accomplice, alleging he linked many of them to Stephen.

However, Akintujoye claimed he was also a victim, stating, “I also gave him about £58,000 for 10 CoS. Unfortunately, and perhaps not surprising to him knowing what he set out to do from the outset, he did not deliver even a single CoS out of the 10 I paid him for.”

Stephen admitted to receiving payments but claimed his “contact messed up the work,” and he was in the process of refunding the victims. However, the victims and Akintujoye disputed his claims, stating he had only partially refunded some victims.

The case has been reported to various law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

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