By Gwurld4026 
BBC Investigates UK Doctor Kelvin Alaneme’s CoS Fraud
A recent BBC investigation has uncovered a significant immigration scam involving recruitment agents who exploit foreign nationals seeking employment in the UK’s care sector. Among those implicated is Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, a UK-based Nigerian medical doctor and founder of CareerEdu, an agency based in Essex. The investigation revealed that these agents have been illegally selling non-existent jobs and creating fake payroll systems to conceal their fraudulent activities, prompting concern from authorities.
Undercover journalists from the BBC, posing as potential business partners, recorded Dr. Alaneme discussing the financial gains from recruiting care homes. He reportedly offered £2,000 for each job vacancy procured, plus a £500 commission, explaining that these vacancies were then sold to candidates in Nigeria, charging them for positions that did not exist. Dr. Alaneme acknowledged the illegality of charging candidates for jobs, stating, “They are not supposed to be paying because it’s free. It should be free,” but justified the practice by highlighting the high demand and limited legitimate opportunities.
One victim, identified as Praise from southeastern Nigeria, paid Dr. Alaneme over £10,000 for a supposed job in the UK with a care company called Efficiency for Care. Upon arrival, Praise discovered the job was non-existent, leaving him in a precarious situation without support. Efficiency for Care had issued over 1,200 Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023, despite employing only 16 people in 2022 and 152 in 2023. The company’s sponsorship license was revoked in 2023, though it continues to operate. Efficiency for Care denied any collusion with Dr. Alaneme and stated that it believed its recruitment process was lawful.
The BBC’s investigation also exposed other recruitment agents involved in similar scams, including the creation of fake sponsorship documents and payroll systems to cover up the lack of actual employment. These fraudulent activities have led to a crackdown by the UK Home Office, pledging to take “robust new action against shameless employers who abuse the visa system” and to “ban businesses who flout UK employment laws from sponsoring overseas workers.”
Dr. Alaneme, who founded CareerEdu during the #EndSARS movement to assist Nigerians in seeking opportunities abroad, now faces scrutiny over these allegations. The controversy has sparked discussions about the exploitation of vulnerable individuals seeking better opportunities and the need for stricter regulations in the recruitment process.