In June 2023, officers of the United Kingdom’s Border Force intercepted a Nigerian couple at Manchester Airport after they attempted to smuggle a baby who was not biologically theirs into the country.
According to a BBC report, the officers became suspicious after noticing the couple’s “odd” behavior with the baby during routine checks. When questioned, Raphael Ossai, who claimed to be the child’s father, presented a birth certificate showing his companion, Oluwakemi Olasanoye, as the baby’s mother. However, a deeper search revealed a second birth certificate hidden in their luggage, naming a different woman — Ossai’s British wife — as the child’s mother.
Following an investigation, authorities discovered that the baby, referred to as “Lucy” to protect her identity, was born in a rural Nigerian community in September 2022. She had been placed in an orphanage by her biological mother just three days after birth.
Court Proceedings
Ossai and Olasanoye were charged with immigration offences, having illegally transported Lucy from Lagos to the UK without legal adoption rights. DNA tests confirmed that neither Ossai nor Olasanoye was biologically related to Lucy.
During court proceedings, Ossai admitted that he and his British wife had been seeking to adopt a child and that he had assumed custody of Lucy from an orphanage. However, while they had legal permission to foster Lucy in Nigeria, they had no authority to formally adopt her or remove her from the country.
Both Ossai and Olasanoye pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 18 months in prison for immigration violations. Following their conviction, Ossai and his wife appealed to the court for custody of Lucy, claiming she was like a daughter to them. Ossai argued that, since Nigerian authorities had approved him as Lucy’s foster parent, the English court had no jurisdiction to separate them.
However, High Court Judge Jonathan Cohen ruled against them, stressing that their deceptive actions — particularly the illegal relocation of Lucy — had caused her “very significant emotional harm.”
Lucy’s Future
Since her arrival in the UK, Lucy has been moved between three different foster homes. In April, a judge ordered that she be placed for adoption and that her name be legally changed to give her a fresh start. The court stated that Lucy “needs the best opportunities going forward in the world,” and such prospects could “only be achieved through placement with an alternative family.”
The case also drew attention to the lack of involvement from the Nigerian High Commission. Despite repeated outreach by the UK courts, the High Commission reportedly showed minimal engagement and declined to comment on the case.
