NIGERIAN man and a Zimbabwean woman have been arrested after allegedly entering into a marriage of convenience and contravening sections of the Immigration Act.The woman — Barbara Mwanakanda (36) — was already married to a Zimbabwean man, a soldier.

On Thursday, the soldier stormed the Department of Immigration offices on learning that his wife could have married a Nigerian man in 2006 to help him get a Zimbabwe residence permit.

The infuriated soldier, who tied the knot with Mwana-kanda in 2001, had to be restrained after demanding access to his wife, as officials feared he would harm her.

Assistant regional immigration officer Mr Evans Siziba yesterday said police had arrested the Nigerian, Valentine Emerole (41), and Mwanakanda.

Police and Immigration sources say Emerole approached Mwanakanda in 2006.

At that time, she ran a business of hiring out wedding gowns to people who were getting married at the Rotten Row Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged Emerole offered Mwanakanda an undisclosed sum of money if she would get married to him so that he could secure a permit to live in Zimbabwe.

The two solemnised their vows before a Harare magistrate without the knowledge of Mwanakanda’s husband, it is alleged.

"Mwanakanda left for South Africa after that and Emerole was looking for her so that they could complete their transaction.

"She was supposed to assist him with getting the permit.

"When he located her, she said she would not help because he had not paid her the agreed amount of money," a source said.

It is alleged Emerole paid her US$200 and she helped him secure the permit.

However, immigration officials reportedly discovered that Mwanakanda was already married to a Zimbabwean and investigated the matter leading to the pair’s arrest.

If found guilty, they face up to 10 years in prison for violating the Immigration Act.

"At one point, Emerole asked her to move out of her husband’s house so that he would rent her a place in Belvedere but she refused," another source said.

Her Zimbabwean husband was in blissful ignorance of what was happening until Thursday when immigration officials called and informed him that his wife was in custody facing criminal charges.

The furious hubby immediately went to the immigration

offices in the city centre and demanded leave to "deal" with his wife.

He was, however, restrained and told he had no access to her.

Afterwards, Mwanakanda wrote a letter to her husband asking for forgiveness.

"Handina kana kumbodanana naye, kana kurara naye, akangokumbirawo kuchata neni kuti ndimubatsirewo.

"Ndange ndichikumbirawo ruregerero murume wangu kuti tidzokerane. (I was never in love with him, and I never slept with him. He just asked me to wed him so that I could help him. Please forgive me so that we can be together again.)," read part of the letter.

It could not be established at the time of writing how the soldier had responded to the letter or if he had been allowed to speak to his wife.

Reports of marriages of convenience are commonplace and immigration officials have in the past deported several foreigners in connection with such cases.

In 2008, three Nigerians were arrested for entering into marriages of convenience with Zimbabwean women.

They dumped the women as soon as they secured residence permits and asked their Nigerian wives to join them in Zimbabwe.

By The Zimbabwe Mail