By The Home Office has asked nurses awaiting appeals to leave the United Kingdom as soon as next week. The nurses are undergoing investigation over alleged fraud at a test centre in Ibadan, Oyo state capital. It was gathered that nurses’ visas were revoked following fraud allegations by the nursing regulator.
London, United Kingdom – Some Nigerian nurses have been asked to leave the United Kingdom. They are still awaiting the outcomes of their appeals. The nurses are undergoing an investigation following widespread fraud that took place at the Ibadan test centre in Nigeria.
The Home Office has given a directive. According to Nursing Times, the nurses should leave the UK as soon as next week. This is coming after their visas were revoked following fraud allegations by the nursing regulator.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has been accused of “deliberately delaying” hearings. The NMC has been urged to immediately remedy the situation. This is so that nurses are not repatriated. Their appeal must be heard before any repatriation occurs.
The NMC has refuted claims that the delays are deliberate. It has been working to schedule the remaining hearings as soon as possible. The NMC’s investigation into fraud concerns at a testing site in Ibadan, Nigeria, impacted almost 2,000 internationally educated Nigerian nurses. The test centre is run by Pearson VUE on behalf of the NMC.
In 2024, almost 50 nurses considered taking the NMC to court. The nurses claimed their registration was unfairly removed or their application to join the register refused following the fraud investigations.
The 50 nurses served the NMC with a “pre-action protocol letter” in February, 2025. The letter gave the regulator 14 days to respond to their concerns. If they did not respond, legal action would be taken.
They made several demands. They asked the NMC to liaise with the Home Office. This ensures the nurses threatened with deportation can stay in the UK. They can stay until their appeals have been concluded. Some nurses narrated how they were prematurely fired by their employers and visas revoked while they awaited their hearing outcomes.
The letter called for a complete reconsideration. It requested reevaluation of everyone removed from the register. It also applied to those who had their application refused. This was after one of the 50 nurses accused of fraudulent entry successfully appealed.
The nurses want to take legal action. NMC did not respond to the pre-action protocol letter within the 14 day deadline. BartaNews Margazin also reported on a recent reunion of Nigerian nurses residing in the UK.
They captured their heartwarming memories in a touching video. In the footage, the nurses are seen gathered in a cosy home, exchanging hugs, laughter, and meaningful conversations.
