Japa: Nigerian Student Imprisoned for Using Fake ID to Work in UK Hospitals Despite Lacking Qualifications

A Nigerian woman residing in the United Kingdom has been convicted after working as a healthcare support worker within NHS facilities using false identification, despite lacking any formal medical training.

Oluwabunmu Adeleiyi, aged 30, resided in Cardiff under a student visa and was employed at Neath Port Talbot Hospital as well as the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend. Cardiff Crown Court was informed that she and two accomplices employed shared counterfeit IDs to fraudulently invoice the NHS approximately £16,000 monthly through recruitment agencies.

Adeleiyi entered a guilty plea to four counts of fraud by false representation. She received a sentence of 10 months’ imprisonment for each count, to be served concurrently, which was suspended for a period of two years. Additionally, she was mandated to complete 100 hours of unpaid community service.

The fraudulent activity was discovered when hospital personnel identified irregularities on her identification card at the conclusion of a night shift. 

Subsequent investigations revealed that Adeleiyi, who lacked training in patient restraint procedures, accessed confidential patient records and secured restricted wards, actions that health officials indicated could have posed “catastrophic” risks.