Lola Akinlade, a Nigerian student, is facing deportation from Canada after using a fake acceptance letter to obtain a study visa and work permit. Akinlade, who graduated from Nova Scotia Community College in 2019, shared her experience with CBC News.
She claimed she was unaware the acceptance letter provided by an agent for the University of Regina in 2016 was fake until contacted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) before her graduation.
“I was devastated. That was the beginning of my trauma,” Akinlade said. When IRCC contacted her, she requested a review of her case, arguing she was a victim of a “rogue agent.” “Please review my file. I just want this to be resolved.”
Akinlade’s journey to Canada began in 2015 when she met an immigration consultant who offered to guide her through the process. She provided documents and payment, and he supplied her with a study permit, plane tickets, and an acceptance letter from the University of Regina. However, upon arrival in Canada, she discovered there were no spaces available at the university and had to find a new school.
Akinlade eventually enrolled at Nova Scotia Community College, but her troubles resurfaced when IRCC informed her the acceptance letter was fake. “I was sceptical… thinking it might be a misunderstanding or something,” she said. After contacting the University of Regina, she learned the truth.
The agent, Babatunde Isiaq Adegoke, confirmed providing the acceptance letter but claimed it was supplied by a company in Lagos. Akinlade lost her study permit and was denied postgraduate work and temporary resident permits. IRCC believes she knew the document was fake, and her family’s status in Canada is now at risk.
In 2018, Lola Akinlade’s husband, Samson, and their eight-year-old son, David, who was born in Nigeria, reunited with her in Nova Scotia. However, due to the current situation, they have now lost their temporary resident status. Meanwhile, their younger son, born in Canada in 2021, holds Canadian citizenship, but unfortunately, he is without medical coverage due to his parents’ uncertain immigration status.
“We’ve been surviving on our savings, and I don’t know how long we can continue doing that,” she said. “It’s really, really hard,” she added.
