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.
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.