In a case of adoption gone awry, a Nigerian couple has been jailed in the United Kingdom after attempting to illegally bring an orphaned baby girl into the country using falsified documents.
Raphael Ossai and Oluwakemi Olasanoye were arrested at Manchester Airport, according to a BBC report, after Border Force officers noticed unusual behavior between the pair and the infant they claimed as their own.
Initial checks revealed inconsistencies, prompting further investigation.
Ossai presented a birth certificate listing Olasanoye as the mother, but officers later uncovered a second birth certificate hidden in the couple’s luggage, naming Ossai’s British wife as the child’s mother.
The incident triggered a complex inquiry into the child’s true identity, which remains unresolved. DNA testing later confirmed that Lucy—an alias given to the girl by authorities—is not biologically related to Ossai, Olasanoye, or Ossai’s British wife.
It was established that Lucy was born in rural Nigeria in September 2022 and placed in an orphanage days after her birth by a young student mother.
Ossai and Olasanoye pleaded guilty to immigration offences and were sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by deportation.
Throughout court proceedings, it emerged that Ossai and his wife had been seeking to adopt a child and had obtained permission to foster Lucy, but did not have the legal right to adopt her or remove her from Nigeria.
Social workers described signs of serious neglect during Lucy’s early months in the UK, noting that the child was emotionally withdrawn, underfed, and struggled to form secure attachments.
Although Ossai and his wife appealed to the High Court to be assessed as Lucy’s carers, citing concerns over her cultural identity if placed with white foster families, the court rejected their application.
Justice Sir Jonathan Cohen ruled that the couple’s deception and unlawful actions had caused Lucy “very significant emotional harm” and ordered that she be placed for adoption within the UK.
Lucy, who has been moved between multiple foster homes since her arrival, will be provided with information about her heritage as part of her upbringing.
The Nigerian High Commission was said not to have responded to repeated requests for assistance during the High Court proceedings, leaving questions about Lucy’s full background unanswered.
The Home Office declined to comment on the individuals’ deportation status but reiterated its commitment to removing foreign nationals who break the law.