News / International
Nigerian woman arrested for bogus marriage
27 Feb 2011 at 11:18hrs | Views
A Nigerian woman, Esther Marhyo Dede who was living in Harare under a marriage of convenience with a Zimbabwean man, Elias Bright Shereni has been arrested and found in possession of three fake passports. Their marriage at the Harare Magistrates' Court was witnessed by Barbara Mwanakanda (36) who was last year arrested for marrying a Nigerian man, Valentine Emerole (41) while still married to a Zimbabwean soldier.
Sources close to the investigations said sometime last year, Dede was involved in a domestic dispute with Shereni. He accused Dede of not disclosing to him that she had five children living with their South African father and he also alleged that Dede was living with a doctor (name supplied) at Parirenyatwa Hospital. Shereni also revealed that Dede was using a Ghanaian passport she had bought in South Africa, which led to him signing an affidavit allowing the Immigration Department to deport Dede.
Shereni had a change of heart while serving a ten month prison term for assault against Dede. On December 3 2010 he signed another affidavit trying to reverse the deportation but this and Dede's subsequent appeal failed leading to her arrest.
In addition to a Ghanaian passport, Dede was found in possession of Zambian and Nigerian passports. An official at the Embassy of Ghana, Mr Gabriel Owusu Ansah, told immigration officials that Dede is not a Ghanaian but rather suspected to be Nigerian and has requested the passport to be returned to them after the investigation is complete.
Reports of marriages of convenience are commonplace and immigration officials have in the past deported several foreigners in connection with such cases. In 2008, three Nigerians were arrested in similar circumstances after they dumped the women as soon as they secured residence permits and asked their Nigerian wives to join them in Zimbabwe.
Mwanakanda and her bogus husband Valentine Emerole were also prosecuted and charged with contravening sections of the Immigration Act. Back in 2006 Emerole allegedly approached the Zimbabwean woman and gave her an undisclosed sum of money in exchange for Zimbabwean residence through marriage.
Sources close to the investigations said sometime last year, Dede was involved in a domestic dispute with Shereni. He accused Dede of not disclosing to him that she had five children living with their South African father and he also alleged that Dede was living with a doctor (name supplied) at Parirenyatwa Hospital. Shereni also revealed that Dede was using a Ghanaian passport she had bought in South Africa, which led to him signing an affidavit allowing the Immigration Department to deport Dede.
Shereni had a change of heart while serving a ten month prison term for assault against Dede. On December 3 2010 he signed another affidavit trying to reverse the deportation but this and Dede's subsequent appeal failed leading to her arrest.
In addition to a Ghanaian passport, Dede was found in possession of Zambian and Nigerian passports. An official at the Embassy of Ghana, Mr Gabriel Owusu Ansah, told immigration officials that Dede is not a Ghanaian but rather suspected to be Nigerian and has requested the passport to be returned to them after the investigation is complete.
Reports of marriages of convenience are commonplace and immigration officials have in the past deported several foreigners in connection with such cases. In 2008, three Nigerians were arrested in similar circumstances after they dumped the women as soon as they secured residence permits and asked their Nigerian wives to join them in Zimbabwe.
Mwanakanda and her bogus husband Valentine Emerole were also prosecuted and charged with contravening sections of the Immigration Act. Back in 2006 Emerole allegedly approached the Zimbabwean woman and gave her an undisclosed sum of money in exchange for Zimbabwean residence through marriage.
Source - Byo24News
