A UK-based Nigerian doctor, Dr. Kelvin Alaneme, has come under scrutiny after a BBC undercover investigation allegedly exposed him for selling fraudulent job opportunities to foreign workers. Dr. Alaneme, a psychiatrist with experience in the UK’s National Health Service, is the founder of CareerEdu, a recruitment agency based in Harlow, Essex.
The BBC launched its investigation following multiple online complaints about CareerEdu’s relocation services. Undercover reporters uncovered claims that Dr. Alaneme was charging job seekers thousands of pounds for roles that either did not exist or were misrepresented.
Allegations of Job Sales and Recruitment Scams
CareerEdu presents itself as a platform helping young Africans access global opportunities, boasting nearly 10,000 successful clients. However, the BBC’s findings suggest a different reality.
During the investigation, Dr. Alaneme allegedly tried to recruit the undercover reporter, believing she had strong ties to the UK’s care industry. He reportedly promised lucrative commissions if she could help secure care home job vacancies, stating, “Just get me care homes. I can make you a millionaire.”
According to the report, Dr. Alaneme offered £2,000 per care home vacancy and an additional £500 commission per job placement. He then sold these vacancies to candidates in Nigeria—despite acknowledging that the process should be free.
“They are not supposed to be paying because it’s free. It should be free,” he reportedly told the journalist in a hushed tone. “They are paying because they know it’s most likely the only way.”
Victims Speak Out
One of the affected individuals, a Nigerian man named Praise, shared his ordeal. He claimed to have paid Dr. Alaneme over £10,000 for a care job in the UK, only to find out upon arrival that the role did not exist.
“If I had known there was no job, I would not have come here,” Praise said. “At least back home, if you go broke, you can rely on family for food. Here, you go hungry.”
Praise tried to reach out to both Dr. Alaneme and the supposed employer, Efficiency for Care, for months but never secured work. The BBC investigation uncovered inconsistencies in Efficiency for Care’s records. In 2022, the company employed an average of 16 workers, but by 2023, it claimed to have 152 employees. Yet, official documents from the UK Home Office showed it had issued over 1,200 Certificates of Sponsorship to foreign workers between March 2022 and May 2023—raising questions about the legitimacy of these job placements.
A Sophisticated Scam?
In another secretly recorded conversation, Dr. Alaneme allegedly described a method to exploit sponsorship documents for non-existent jobs.
“The advantage of having a CoS [Certificate of Sponsorship] that is unconnected to a job is that you can choose any city you want,” he claimed. “You can go to Glasgow. You can stay in London. You can live anywhere.”
However, the BBC refuted this claim, stating that a Health and Care Work visa in the UK requires employment in the specific role assigned. Failure to do so could result in visa cancellation and deportation.
Dr. Alaneme also allegedly detailed how to create a fake payroll system to make the job placements appear legitimate. “That [a money trail] is what the government needs to see,” he reportedly explained.
Dr. Alaneme Denies Wrongdoing
In response to the allegations, Dr. Alaneme strongly denied that CareerEdu was involved in any fraudulent activities. He insisted that his company does not sell jobs but simply connects qualified candidates with licensed employers.
He claimed the money paid by Praise was transferred to a recruitment agent to cover training, accommodation, and transportation costs. Additionally, he stated that he had offered to help Praise find another employer at no additional cost.
On his social media page, Dr. Alaneme wrote, “I have never scammed or defrauded anyone in my life. And I never will. We are not care job employers in the UK. Our job is to link qualified employees to legitimate and licensed employers and recruiters who provide Certificates of Sponsorship.”
He further clarified that while a CoS should be free, some recruiters and employers charge additional fees for services such as training and relocation support. He maintained that if a client did not secure a job, these costs were fully refunded.
“Every CoS issued by employers to our clients was legitimate, and they all relocated successfully,” he stated, adding that 98% of CareerEdu’s candidates had successfully secured employment in the UK.
The Bigger Picture
The controversy surrounding Dr. Alaneme comes amid increasing scrutiny of fraudulent immigration schemes. In a separate case in 2024, four Nigerians were sentenced for orchestrating a large-scale scam involving the forgery of over 2,000 marriage certificates, which were used to facilitate illegal immigration into the UK.
While Dr. Alaneme insists on his innocence, the BBC’s findings raise serious concerns about job placement schemes and the exploitation of hopeful migrants. As investigations continue, the case serves as a cautionary tale for job seekers to verify recruitment agencies and employment offers before making financial commitments.
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