Nigerian man imprisoned over sham marriage in Coventry

A man has been jailed for 18 months after a tip-off revealed he had paid a woman £3,000 to take part in a sham marriage.

Nigerian Olumuyiwa Otti, aged 40, admitted two charges of deception at Coventry Crown Court.

He had married a French woman at St John the Divine Church in the city in September 2009.

The UK Border Agency was tipped off that he had given a false address to the church registrar.

Otti was arrested in January when he reported to a UK Border Agency office.

After the case, a UK Border Agency officer said the French woman, when questioned, had admitted taking part in a sham marriage and that Otti had paid her to do so.

She was cautioned by Agency officials on 7 January, a spokesman said.

Otti pleaded guilty to a charge of providing a false statement to obtain a marriage certificate and seeking to obtain leave to remain in the UK by deception.