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Two Babayaros live miles apart in London
Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ex-Chelsea and Newcastle star, Celestine Babayaro, led the highlife in West London while his elder brother, Collins, a suspected illegal immigrant in the Queen’s land, was forced to share a dingy semi with two other men in London.

 
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The Nigerian left-back, who loves flash cars, had a £500,000 flat in Holland Park, where his neighbours included movie director, Michael Winner. Less than 20 miles away, his older brother, Collins, was commuting to his low-paid security job from a house in Shepperton, Surrey.

The brother of the Premier League footballer is a suspected illegal immigrant, who has been working as a security guard. Collins, whose younger brother was recently released from his £3million a year Newcastle United contract, was arrested in a crackdown following a Sunday Mirror investigation.

The 30-year-old Nigerian, who earned £300 a week, is being held in custody awaiting a hearing at which he is likely to be deported.

Immigration officers arrested him at his home in Shepperton, Surrey, last week after Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith hastily ordered checks on non-EU nationals.

Miss Smith admitted last week that more than 11,000 illegal aliens had been wrongly granted a Security Industry Authority licence.

Collins came to the UK on a student visa, which had expired when he applied for his security licence.

An official said: "Babayaro (Collins) came up during the checks to see which people with a licence are here illegally. It was a shock to discover he was the brother of a Premiership footballer.

"It appears that he came over from Nigeria a few years ago to study, but never went back when his visa expired. It is highly likely he will be deported. It doesn't matter who your brother is."

Sunday Mirror told six weeks ago how thousands of illegal immigrants had been employed in the security industry, with one even guarding the Prime Minister's car.

Recently, a Home Office spokesman said: "We do not comment on individual cases." But he added: "We have made it clear we will take robust approach to removing people from the country when they have no legal right to be here."

The Collins’ case comes as Watford midfielder, Al Bangura, 19, appeals a decision to deport him to Sierra Leone at an immigration hearing last week.