Nigerian doctor and author Kelvin Alaneme has announced plans to sue the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for defamation, denying accusations that he was involved in an immigration scam.
Alaneme, who runs the agency CareerEdu, insists that he is helping Nigerians move abroad and that he has never engaged in fraud or scamming.
The BBC’s ‘Africa Eye’ investigation claims that Alaneme charged $13,000 for fake UK care job visas.
The report, which featured secretly recorded footage, uncovered a network of immigration fraudsters exploiting a surge in scams following the UK’s expansion of its visa scheme in 2022 to include care workers.
The scheme requires applicants to secure a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK employer, creating opportunities for fraudulent practices.
From July 2022 to December 2024, the UK government revoked over 470 care sector licenses, affecting more than 39,000 foreign care workers and medical professionals recruited since 2020.
The BBC report linked Alaneme to fraudulent relocation services, alleging that he offered non-existent job placements.
In an undercover recording, Alaneme was heard discussing his dealings with a potential business partner in the UK care sector, saying, “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire.”
He claimed to pay £2,000 ($2,600) per care home vacancy secured, plus a £500 ($650) commission, with these roles supposedly being sold to Nigerian applicants.
The BBC also found evidence that a company connected to the scam, Efficiency for Care, issued 1,234 CoS between March 2022 and May 2023, despite only having 16 employees in 2022 and 152 in 2023.
The UK government revoked Efficiency for Care’s sponsorship license in July 2023, halting its ability to recruit foreign workers.
In another secret recording, Alaneme outlined how migrants could obtain CoS for jobs that did not exist, using fake payroll records to cover up the fraud.
One alleged victim, named Praise, claimed he paid Alaneme over £10,000 ($13,000) for a job with Efficiency for Care in Clacton-on-Sea, only to find out upon arrival that the job offer was a scam.
However, Alaneme firmly denied the allegations, clarifying that CareerEdu does not employ care workers but instead helps connect qualified candidates with legitimate recruiters.
“We are not Care Job employers in the UK. Our role is to link clients with legitimate, licensed employers who provide Certificates of Sponsorship,” he explained. Alaneme added that clients are refunded extra costs for training, transport, and accommodation if they are not successful in securing a job, with no questions asked.
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