A BBC undercover investigation has exposed a UK-based Nigerian doctor, Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, allegedly running a sophisticated scam targeting African migrants seeking employment in the UK. The investigation reveals that Dr. Alaneme, through his agency CareerEdu, purportedly sold fake job opportunities, leaving victims stranded and financially devastated.
The BBC documentary, which followed numerous online complaints, revealed that CareerEdu, which brands itself as a “launchpad for global opportunities catering to young Africans,” promised lucrative job placements in the UK care sector. However, the reality was far from the advertised promise.
“They [the candidates] are not supposed to be paying because it’s free. It should be free,” Dr. Alaneme was secretly recorded saying, acknowledging the exploitative nature of the payments. “They are paying because they know it’s most likely the only way.”
One victim, a Nigerian man named Praise, recounted paying over £10,000 ($13,000) for a job that never materialized. “If I had known there was no job, I would not have come here,” Praise stated, highlighting the vulnerability of those seeking better opportunities abroad. “At least, back home in Nigeria, if you go broke, I can find my sister or my parents and go and eat free food. It’s not the same here. You will go hungry.”
The investigation further uncovered discrepancies in the employment records of Efficiency for Care, a company linked to the scam. “Efficiency for Care employed, on average, 16 people in 2022 and 152 in 2023,” the BBC reported. “Yet, a letter from the Home Office to the company, dated May 2023 and seen by the BBC, showed it had issued 1,234 Certificates of Sponsorship to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023.”
Dr. Alaneme allegedly offered to pay a BBC undercover journalist £2,000 ($2,600) for each care home vacancy she could procure, plus a £500 ($650) commission. He also detailed a scheme involving fabricated payroll systems and sponsorship documents for nonexistent jobs, falsely claiming, “The advantage of having a CoS that is unconnected to a job is that you can choose any city you want.”
The BBC, however, debunked this claim, clarifying, “This is not true. If a migrant arrives in the UK on a Health and Care Work visa and does not work in the role they have been assigned, their visa could be cancelled, and they risk being deported.”
In response to the allegations, Dr. Alaneme “strenuously denied” any involvement in a scam, stating that CareerEdu is not a recruitment agency and does not provide jobs for cash. He claimed the payments were for transportation, accommodation, and training expenses, and that all Certificates of Sponsorship were legitimate.
“We have always made it clear that Certificate of Sponsorship is free. That said, some recruiters and employers charge extra costs. These costs can cover training, transportation, and even accommodation and vary from employer to employer,” Dr. Alaneme stated on his X.com page. “Every COS issued by employers to our clients was legitimate, and they all relocated successfully.”
This case serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by Black and African travelers seeking employment abroad. It underscores the importance of thorough research, due diligence, and seeking verified information to avoid falling victim to fraudulent schemes. Travelers are urged to verify the legitimacy of job offers and recruitment agencies with official government sources and legal professionals. This incident also serves to highlight the need for greater regulatory oversight of international recruitment practices and the importance of safe migration policies that protect vulnerable individuals.
