A Nigerian couple has been sentenced to prison after trying to bring an orphaned baby into the UK with falsified documents. Raphael Ossai and Oluwakemi Olasanoye were detained at Manchester Airport after Border Force officers noticed suspicious behavior between the couple and the baby they claimed as their own. Further investigation revealed inconsistencies in their story, leading to the discovery of two conflicting birth certificates—one listing Olasanoye as the mother and another naming Ossai’s British wife as the child’s mother.
DNA tests later confirmed that the baby, known as Lucy, was not biologically related to either Ossai, Olasanoye, or Ossai’s wife. Authorities discovered Lucy was born in Nigeria in 2022 and placed in an orphanage shortly after birth. Ossai and Olasanoye had been seeking to adopt Lucy but did not have the legal right to take her from Nigeria. The couple pleaded guilty to immigration offenses and received 18 months in prison, followed by deportation.
Social workers observed signs of neglect after Lucy arrived in the UK. The child was emotionally withdrawn and underfed, struggling to form secure attachments. Ossai and his wife had applied to become Lucy’s official carers, expressing concerns about her cultural identity if placed with white foster families. However, the High Court rejected their appeal, emphasizing the harm caused by the couple’s deception. The court ruled that Lucy should be placed for adoption in the UK and would be informed of her heritage as part of her upbringing.
Despite the Nigerian High Commission being contacted multiple times for assistance, they did not respond during the court proceedings, leaving questions about Lucy’s full background unresolved. The Home Office has not commented on the couple’s deportation but reaffirmed its commitment to removing foreign nationals who break the law.
