Ex-Nurse Banned for Life After Secretly Funding Brother Who Joined IS

A former nurse who sent her brother hundreds of pounds after he joined the Islamic State group has been struck-off. Stella Oyella and daughter Vanessa Atim arranged for more than £1,800 to be sent to Joseph Ogaba, who left his Finsbury Park home in September 2014 to join the terrorist organisation in Syria.

The pair were jailed for a combined six years and nine months in 2024 when the Metropolitan Police uncovered evidence of covert cash transfers via contacts in Uganda and the Middle East. Oyella, of Newham, was a senior nurse employed by the East London NHS Foundation Trust at the time of her conviction.

The 55-year-old was banned from the profession following a hearing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) last month. The panel found her actions breached the “fundamental tenets” of her role and ‘undermined’ public confidence in the profession.

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They also noted that although she posed no risk to patients, there was a significant “lack of integrity” shown in her position. It was decided a striking-off order was necessary as a lesser sanction would not reflect the seriousness of the case.

Oyella was given the chance to appeal but had previously not engaged with the NMC ahead of the hearing. The Old Bailey previously heard that Oyella and Atim sent cash to Ogaba between March and October 2017.

The judge concluded the two women were not motivated by IS’s extremist beliefs but wanted to help their “desperate” relative with his general expenses. Police found no evidence the money was used for weapons.

Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said after the sentencing: “These women went to great lengths to first arrange, and then distance themselves from money transfers to Ogaba.

“This case shows how we work with our international partners to close the net on people who support terrorist activity, no matter how much time has passed.”

Ogaba was later captured and held in a detention camp until his death around July 2022.