Couple ‘hiding’ a 5-bedroom Croydon house ordered to hand keys back on Rotherhithe council home

 

Couple ‘hiding’ a 5-bedroom Croydon house ordered to hand keys back on Rotherhithe council home
The couple were ordered pay over £16,500 by the courts


A couple who were handed the keys to a three-bedroom council property in Rotherhithe just weeks after buying a five-bedroom home in Croydon have been ordered by the courts to give it back to Southwark.

Southwark Council said Uchenna and Nkeiruka Nzekwe secured the tenancy of the property on Fir Trees Close off Salter Road in June 2021.


A year later in October 2022 the council started investigating the couple after receiving an anonymous tip off that no that no children had ever lived at the address.

After doing some digging, investigators discovered that the Nzekwes had bought a large family home in Croydon just three weeks before they were granted the council tenancy, which they had not declared on their housing application.

The council said that when Mr Nzekwe was asked in February 2024 why he hadn’t mentioned the property, he claimed that the Croydon home was being held ‘in trust’ for his daughter, and therefore didn’t need to be declared.

He was then told by the council to hand back the keys to the Rotherhithe home, or risk facing legal action.

Instead, he said he would seek to defend his claim to the property.

However the council said the couple failed to submit a formal defence and were banned from participating in the court hearing.

On 1 October, following a hearing at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court, the judge granted the council possession of the property and ordered Uchenna and Nkeiruka to leave within 14 days, or face eviction by bailiffs.

Woman Charged With Causing Death By Dangerous Driving

21-year-old motorcyclist has died following a multi-vehicle crash at a major Nottingham road junction.

Bobbers Mill Bridge, on Alfreton Road, remained closed for around 11 hours after the incident was first reported at around 8.30am on Saturday (October 18).

The young man suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead soon afterwards. His family have been informed.

A woman was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving following the incident.

Nottinghamshire police have issued the following statement: "A woman has been charged following a fatal collision with a motorcyclist.

"Multiple vehicles were involved in a collision just before 8.30am on Saturday (October 18) in Alfreton Road, Nottingham. Emergency services were called following reports of the collision, which left a motorbike rider with serious injuries.

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"The 21-year-old man was pronounced dead soon afterwards. His family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

"The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the collision was arrested at the scene. Nomazwe Moyo, of Eltham Close, Broxtowe, has since been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

"The 35-year-old is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Monday (October 20).

Police put up a huge cordon and taped off a large section of the road between Gregory Boulevard and Aspley Lane. Drivers were advised to find alternative routes and bus operator Trentbarton said one of its services had been diverting due to the closure.

Nigerian man sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after using woman’s name to work at UK Hospital

Nigerian man sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after using woman’s name to work at UK Hospital




A Nigerian man has been sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work after admitting he used a female colleague’s identity to carry out shifts at a UK hospital.




Identity Fraud at Countess of Chester Hospital




Lucius Njoku, 33, of Oliver Lane, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation when he appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on September 19, 2025.




Between February 16 and April 25, 2024, Njoku worked shifts at the Countess of Chester Hospital, including in the A&E department, under the name of Joyce George, a co-accused who was employed through an agency.




Prosecutor Lisa McGuire told the court that George had since returned to Nigeria and a warrant had been issued for her arrest.




Messages recovered from the pair’s phones mapped out the shifts they coordinated, though both had declined to give interviews.




Although there were no complaints about Njoku’s work and no patients were harmed, the court described the act as a serious abuse of trust.




District Judge John McGarva said: “You deceived your way into a job that required safeguarding checks. While no one was harmed, this undermines the DBS system and is treated as maximum harm. There is an argument for immediate custody, but you have strong mitigation.”




Njoku’s lawyer, Steve Alis, explained that Njoku came to the UK as a student and faced financial difficulties, which led to his agreement with George.




Alis also criticized the hospital’s lack of identification measures, pointing out that Njoku was qualified for the role.




“He hasn’t tried to downplay his role,” Alis said. “He had the relevant qualifications but went about it the wrong way. This was a joint enterprise.”




Sentence and Outcome




Njoku was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, meaning he will not go to jail unless he reoffends during this period.




He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, pay a £154 surcharge, and £85 in court costs.

The 20 UK towns and cities housing the most asylum seekers revealed

The UK towns and cities housing the most asylum seekersGlasgow City - 3,844
Birmingham - 2,755
Hillingdon (London) - 2,481
Liverpool - 2,361
Manchester - 1,997
Leeds - 1,811
Hounslow (London) - 1,675
Coventry - 1,518
Sandwell - 1,489
Nottingham - 1,475
Leicester - 1,452
Bradford - 1,328
Wolverhampton - 1,291
Derby - 1,280
Barnet (London) - 1,180
Stoke-on-Trent - 1,179
Sheffield - 1,131
Newham (London) - 1,122
Wigan - 1,090
Newcastle upon Tyne - 1,085

Illegal migrant 'influencer' who warned others of Ice raids is deported

An illegal migrant social media influencer who warned others online about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) raids in California has been deported back to Colombia.

According to Ice, Tatiana Mafla-Martinez was arrested in August for a previous driving under the influence charge and illegally residing in the US.

The Colombian national boasted almost 50,000 followers on her TikTok account, where she posted Ice raid "alerts" in Los Angeles and other areas in California.

The 24-year-old was arrested by Ice agents while she was livestreaming on her account, with the video of the arrest widely circulating across different social media platforms.

Footage of the incident showed Mafla-Martinez screaming at the agents in Spanish from her Tesla.

After the Colombian was arrested, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “On August 15, Ice arrested Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.

UK CUTS PSW VISA TO 18 MONTHS AMONGST LATEST IMMIGRATION MOVES

Migrants coming to work in Britain will need to learn English to an A-level standard under stricter new rules, the Home Secretary has announced.

Tougher requirements for speaking, listening, reading and writing will be needed for certain visas as part of the Government's immigration white paper measures, which are designed to reduce reliance on cheap foreign labour.

The changes were laid in Parliament on Tuesday and are expected to come into force on dates following November 4.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said it was “unacceptable” for migrants to come to Britain if they did not speak English.

"This country has always welcomed those who come to this country and contribute,” she said.

"But it is unacceptable for migrants to come here without learning our language, unable to contribute to our national life.

"If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part."

The white paper measures, first announced in May, are designed to tighten controls and cut migration.

Those applying for skilled worker visa routes and graduates under the high potential individual (HPI) visa will need to reach B2 level, instead of the current B1 standard.

The new requirements will come into effect from January 8, 2026

Applicants will have to pass the Secure English Language Test at a Home Office-approved provider in person, with their results to be checked as part of the visa process.

But the move has been criticised as pushing a false narrative that migrants lack basic English skills.

Dora-Olivia Vicol, chief executive of the Work Rights Centre, said: "Increasing English language requirements from intermediate to upper intermediate won't make any difference to integration - this is already happening.

"It will simply make migrants feel less welcome and reinforce false stereotypes.”

Other measures introduced to Parliament on Tuesday include cutting the time international students can stay in the UK to find a graduate job after their course has ended, from two years to 18 months.

This will take effect from January 2027.

Students will also have to meet higher financial requirements to be allowed to come to the UK, raised to £1,171 per month outside London (from £1,136) for up to nine months.

The HPI route open to graduates from the top 100 international universities will also be expanded as part of efforts to attract highly skilled people to the country.

The Global Talent Route was also widened to include more prestigious prizes and more changes to the visa for technology, arts and academia fields will also be made next year.

The number entering on the HPI visa is expected to double from 2,000 to 4,000, while there will be a cap of 8,000 applications each year.

Under further white paper plans, the immigration skills charge for UK employers to pay when sponsoring foreign workers on specific visas has also been increased to £480 per person per year for small organisations or charities, and to £1,320 for medium and large organisations.

This is raised from £364 and £1,000 respectively.

Home Office estimates indicate that changes from the plan could reduce the number of people coming to the UK by up to 100,000 per year.


Further English language requirements for other visa routes and family dependants are expected.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has also announced any nationals from Botswana will need a visa before travelling to Britain, including for short visits in response to a "high number" of people arriving as visitors since 2022 and then claiming asylum.

The Government branded this a "misuse of the UK's immigration system".

The move will come into force from 3pm on Tuesday.

Mike Ozekhome Named in Fraudulent Transfer of Property in the UK

 A United Kingdom property tribunal has dismissed attempts to transfer ownership of a North London house linked to late Nigerian General Jeremiah Useni to a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, and other claimants, after concluding that false identities and forged documents were at the heart of the case.










The property, situated at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, London NW2 7SX, and registered under the name “Tali Shani” with title number MX117803, was bought in 1993. Evidence presented to the tribunal revealed that Mr. Useni, a former FCT minister and an ally of the late dictator Sani Abacha, was the actual purchaser of the property.

Mr Useni later admitted in oral testimony that he acquired the house with his own funds but registered it under the fabricated name ‘Tali Shani’. The former FCT minister, who served under Mr Abacha, never explained why the home was not recorded under his true identity.

In 2021, a transfer document surfaced suggesting the property had been conveyed to Mr Ozekhome.

The lawyer argued that Mr Useni, acting through the alias Tali Shani, had passed the house to him either as a gift or in recognition of legal services he claimed to have rendered. Based on that document and the accompanying powers of attorney signed in 2019 and 2020, Mr Ozekhome requested that both the tribunal and the chief land registrar register him as the new owner.

Mr Ozekhome could have successfully got the transfer of ownership to his name done, but a dispute escalated when, in 2022, a woman presenting herself as ‘Ms Tali Shani’ challenged the transfer. The woman asserted that she was the rightful owner of the house and insisted that she had never authorised its conveyance.

At one point, the woman was reported to have died in October 2024, only for her supposed son, Ayodele Damola, and cousin, Marcel Obasi, to continue pressing the case on her behalf.

However, in its judgment delivered on September 11, 2025, the tribunal rejected her account entirely.

Judge Ewan Paton stated that the materials she relied on, including identity papers, utility bills, and even a death certificate later produced by supposed relatives, were riddled with inconsistencies and, in many cases, outright forgeries. Investigations carried out by Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission and the police confirmed the documents were fabricated, with addresses and identification numbers traced to non-existent or unrelated persons.

The judge described testimony given by individuals claiming to be her relatives as “wholly unconvincing, dishonest and at times almost comical”, concluding that both the supposed female owner and the male ‘Tali Shani’ cited by Mr Ozekhome were fictitious identities.

While dismissing the rival objection, the tribunal also refused to recognise Mr Ozekhome’s claim. It ruled that since Mr Useni (who died on January 23, 2025) was the genuine buyer, albeit using a false name, the property now belongs to his estate following his death earlier this year (2025).

“The final outcome of this case, therefore, is that both parties have failed,” the judge said. “Neither ‘Tali Shani’ was who they said they were, and neither was the person who purchased this property in 1993. The real owner, via a false name, was General Jeremiah Useni.”

The tribunal ordered the chief land registrar to cancel Mr Ozekhome’s attempted registration and made clear that it will be up to Mr Useni’s lawful estate representatives to decide what steps to take regarding the London house.

“This is a decision made in public proceedings, which shall be published,” Mr Paton stated, leaving open the possibility of further action by British or Nigerian authorities in relation to the frauds uncovered.

British Airways stewardess sacked for being too scared to fly wins discrimination claim

After being temporarily moved to a role on the ground, Ms Clifford was still unable to take to the skies by the end of 2022 and was fired.

She sued BA, claiming that a manager had “minimised” the severity of her condition by describing it as “just a little bit of anxiety”.

Now, she is set to receive compensation after the tribunal found the airline should have given her mThe tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, heard that Ms Clifford began working for BA in 1983 as a member of cabin crew.

She had risen to the rank of in-flight manager by the time the pandemic hit in 2020The tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, heard that Ms Clifford began working for BA in 1983 as a member of cabin crew.

She had risen to the rank of in-flight manager by the time the pandemic hit in 2020 and was placed on furlough in April.

During her period of leave she was told that she would be made redundant in August 2020. and was placed on furlough in April.

During her period of leave she was told that she would be made redundant in August 2020.ore credit for her decades of service and considered a different role for her that did not involve flying.

The tribunal in Reading, Berkshire, heard that Ms Clifford began working for BA in 1983 as a member of cabin crew.




She had risen to the rank of in-flight manager by the time the pandemic hit in 2020 and was placed on furlough in April.




During her period of leave she was told that she would be made redundant in August 2020.

Home Office catches illegal workers at North London restaurant - 'woman answers door and disappears'

Harrow Council will decide whether to strip Mumbai Local, an Indian restaurant on Streatfield Road, of its licence at a meeting of its Licensing Panel next week (August 20). Immigration officers have found people working there illegally on three separate visits dating back to 2023.

The licence review has been triggered by the Home Office due to the owner repeatedly employing people with no right to work in the UK and for paying them “substantially below” minimum wage. A total of eight illegal workers were identified during the three visits, which included the same worker on separate occasions seven months apart.

5-year-old boy had his cancer treatments interrupted with his deportation as his family files suit against ICE

The children are U.S. citizens and were born in Louisiana and the young boy was diagnosed with his condition at the age of two. “Romeo needs regular specialized care and follow-up treatment to this day,” the lawsuit states.


The case is being brought by the National Immigration Project on behalf of the family as well as another mother, who also has two children who are U.S. citizens – which claims the families were deported “without even a semblance of due process.”


Documents seen by The Independent allege that ICE violated its own policy and multiple federal laws when officers secretly detained the families in hotel rooms, denied them the opportunity to speak to family and make decisions about or arrangements for their minor children.