Toronto, Canada – A Nigerian family is on the brink of deportation from Canada after it emerged that a fraudulent admission letter was used to secure a study visa and work permit for the family’s matriarch, Lola Akinlade.
Akinlade, who graduated with a diploma in Social Services from Nova Scotia Community College in 2019, revealed the ordeal in a harrowing interview with CBC News. She disclosed that she was oblivious to the fake acceptance letter provided by an agent for the University of Regina in 2016 until the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) flagged the issue weeks before her graduation.
The mother of two recounted the shock and despair that engulfed her upon realizing the gravity of the situation. “I was devastated. That was the beginning of my trauma,” she said.
Akinlade detailed how she engaged the services of an immigration consultant in Lagos in 2015 with the goal of pursuing a master’s degree in business administration in Canada. She entrusted the agent with her documents and payment, subsequently receiving a study permit, flight tickets, and the fraudulent acceptance letter from the University of Regina.
Despite encountering initial challenges with securing a place at the University of Regina, Akinlade persevered and enrolled at Nova Scotia Community College. However, the nightmare resurfaced when she received a letter from the IRCC questioning the authenticity of her admission letter. A subsequent inquiry to the University of Regina confirmed her worst fears.
The immigration agency has since determined that Akinlade likely knew the document was fake. As a result, her study permit has been revoked, and subsequent applications for a postgraduate work permit and temporary resident permit have been denied.
The ordeal has had a devastating impact on the entire family. Akinlade’s husband, Samson, and their eight-year-old son, David, who joined them in Nova Scotia in 2018, have lost their temporary resident status. Their younger son, born in Canada in 2021, is a Canadian citizen but lacks medical coverage due to his parents’ precarious situation.
The family is now facing the grim prospect of deportation and separation, with their savings dwindling rapidly. Akinlade appealed to the Canadian authorities to reconsider their case, emphasizing that she was a victim of a fraudulent agent.
The immigration consultant, Babatunde Isiaq Adegoke, admitted to providing Akinlade with the acceptance letter but attributed the fraudulent document to a company called Success Academy Education Consult in Lagos. Adegoke denied misleading Akinlade about the waitlist at the University of Regina.
“We’ve been surviving on our savings, and I don’t know how long we can continue doing that,” she said. “It’s really, really hard,” she added.
