Nigerian Nurse In UK Jailed For £16,000 Monthly Fraud
In January 2026, Oluwabunmu Adeleiyi, a 30-year-old student nurse based in Cardiff, was sentenced for a sophisticated fraud scheme that bypassed NHS security protocols to siphon approximately £16,000 per month from public funds.
The case highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the vetting of agency staff and posed a potential risk to patient safety. Adeleiyi operated by assuming a false identity to secure high-paying shifts through multiple employment agencies. Despite having no formal medical qualifications, she successfully embedded herself into clinical environments.
She used a forged ID and falsified documentation to pass herself off as a qualified healthcare professional.
She secured work at several NHS locations in South Wales, including Neath Port Talbot Hospital and the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend (a medium-secure mental health unit).
By working excessive agency shifts under a fraudulent name, she and two accomplices managed to bill the NHS for roughly £16,000 every month.The scheme collapsed due to a vigilant staff member rather than a digital security check. A receptionist noticed that the photograph on Adeleiyi’s ID badge appeared to be manually stuck onto the card rather than printed.
When asked to provide standard shift documentation, Adeleiyi refused and attempted to evade the inquiry. The incident was escalated to senior management, leading to the declaration of a “critical incident” and a subsequent investigation by NHS Counter Fraud Service (Wales).
During the trial, investigators revealed troubling behaviors that occurred while Adeleiyi was on duty.
She was found to have accessed confidential patient notes and made entries in clinical records despite lacking the training to do so.
On several occasions, she reportedly locked herself in rooms to avoid performing actual clinical duties.While no patients were physically harmed during her tenure, health board leaders testified that the potential consequences of an unqualified individual working in a secure clinic “could have been catastrophic.”
In January 2026, Adeleiyi appeared at Cardiff Crown Court. The court heard that her actions were a “calculated and sustained” attack on the NHS.She was handed a custodial sentence (prison time) for her role in the fraud.The investigation identified two other individuals involved in the financial aspect of the scam, who were also prosecuted.
The case prompted an immediate review of how the NHS verifies agency staff. The TIAA (Anti-Crime Specialists) and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority used this case to implement stricter identity-verification and “onboarding” procedures to ensure that agency workers are who they claim to be before they reach a hospital ward.
