In many ways the story of Ndumbe Achile Ndumbe encapsulates some of the most pressing problems facing Britain today – immigration, a ballooning benefits bill and the enforcement of law and order.
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story → encapsulate → law
Born in Cameroon, the 41-year-old came here as a student and stayed.
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old → bear → student
But rather than repay the hospitality the country afforded him, he chose instead to exploit it for his own personal gain.
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he → repay → gain
Setting himself up as a landlord, Ndumbe purchased a string of rundown properties in the north of England.
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Ndumbe → set → England
He then set about trying to extract the maximum amount of money that he could from them by renting out rooms to often desperate and vulnerable members of the community.
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he → set → community
Three-bed houses had up to eight people crammed into them, with each charged up to £800 a month.
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each → have → 800
Ndumbe, well-dressed and with a fleet of expensive cars, is said to have even installed cameras around the houses – through which he would communicate with his tenants, shouting and rebuking them if they put a foot out of line.
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they → dress → line
'He made our lives a living hell,' a young woman, who was moved by him between three of his properties, told the Daily Mail this week.
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who → make → Mail
Born in Cameroon, 41-year-old Ndumbe Achile Ndumbe came to the UK as a student and stayed.
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Ndumbe → bear → student
But rather than repay the hospitality the country afforded him, he chose instead to exploit it for his own personal gain
'
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he → repay → gain
He thought he was the boss and he controlled us all.
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he → think → us
He knew we would struggle to find anywhere else to live.
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we → know → ?
We weren't on the council list and we couldn't find private rentals because we didn't have a guarantor.
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we → find → guarantor
Every property he had, had a camera.
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he → have → camera
And if he saw something he didn't like he would talk to us through it, telling us 'stop doing that' or, if we had visitors, saying 'right, they need to go now'.
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they → see → visitors
'We had no privacy.
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We → have → privacy
It was awful but he had us wrapped around his little finger and knew exactly what he was doing.'
Worse was to come.
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Worse → wrap → what
In July 2024 he was arrested by police on suspicion of rape.
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he → arrest → rape
An examination of his electronic devices suggested that there could be other victims.
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examination → suggest → devices
But, as the Sunday Times revealed earlier this week, despite this, he was released on bail.
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he → reveal → bail
In January, Ndumbe is believed to have flown back to Africa from Manchester airport, leaving a trail of unpaid debts and fines – not to mention the alleged victims who may now never get justice.
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who → believe → justice
Setting himself up as a landlord, Ndumbe purchased a string of rundown properties in the north of England (pictured, one such property in Leigh, Greater Manchester)
A number of the properties owned by Ndumbe were sold at auction at the end of last year.
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number → set → year
Questions are being asked about how he was able to exit the UK so easily.
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he → ask → UK
Despite having previously travelled between Britain and Cameroon, his passport was not confiscated.
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passport → travel → Britain
Ndumbe also stands accused of illegally claiming benefits, reportedly to the tune of £180,000.
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Ndumbe → accuse → 180,000
As the owner of a portfolio of properties, the details of which are publicly available for anyone to see on the Land Registry, he was not entitled to means-tested benefits.
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he → see → benefits
And yet he was able to claim housing benefit and Universal Credit.
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he → claim → benefit
To add insult to injury, it is understood that even after returning to Cameroon he continued to receive £200 a month in personal independence payment (PIP) for mental health problems and a 'bad back'.
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he → add → problems
'It's a joke,' said a second, former tenant.
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tenant → say → ?
'We were the ones struggling to make ends meet to pay a rich landlord his rent and now we hear that at the same time he was able to claim hundreds of pounds a month in benefits.'
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he → struggle → benefits
Another source familiar with the case added: 'This case represents and highlights multiple failures in the system, across the police, the border and DWP.
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case → add → police
How was he allowed to leave the country in the first place while being investigated for rape?
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he → allow → rape
Ndumbe, well-dressed and with a fleet of expensive cars, is said to have even installed cameras around the houses – through which he would communicate with his tenants, shouting and rebuking them if they put a foot out of line
Precisely when Ndumbe arrived in Britain is unclear.
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arrived → dress → Britain
But according to his Facebook account he was raised in the coastal city of Limbe, in Cameroon where he studied for a biochemistry degree.
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he → accord → degree
In 2007 the then 22-year-old claims to have begun a three-year science degree at the University of Bolton.
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old → claim → Bolton
Last week the Home Office refused to comment on how he entered the country or his immigration status.
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he → refuse → country
According to Ndumbe's entry on LinkedIn, that was followed by healthcare work in the Manchester area and then a part-time MBA, a graduate-level degree focused on business management.
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that → accord → management
Despite describing himself as an 'experienced Mental Health Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital and health care industry', the Nursing and Midwifery Council say that he is not currently registered as a nurse, midwife or nursing associate.
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he → describe → nurse
About a decade ago, Ndumbe started managing and investing in rental properties in the conurbations around Wigan.
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Ndumbe → manage → Wigan
It is thought he had a portfolio of six houses.
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he → think → houses
…and 59 more, not listed.
The Aporia
