KEY POINTS

• A Nigerian national convicted of armed robbery and drug selling escaped deportation because his human rights entailed medical protections.
• A court judge determined that his psychiatric state along with his belief in demonic possession made him unfit for return to Nigeria.
• The judicial decision has triggered public discussions about both immigration regulations and British tax dollars used for paying foreign criminal expenses.

A Nigerian citizen who received a conviction for armed robbery and drug offenses managed to prevent his UK deportation by demonstrating returning to Nigeria would subject him to potentially dangerous cultural views about demonic possession.

The identified man received a seven-year prison term after the court sentenced him in 2011 for an armed robbery at a brothel. He served another prison term because he provided crack cocaine to people.

An immigration deportation order issued in April 2014 did not prevent him from making a successful human rights appeal that has allowed him to stay in the UK for more than ten years.

Amnesty International provided support to his cause by asserting the Nigerian stigma against mental health subjects him to significant danger of physical harm.

Evaluation results show the prisoner has a trauma-related disorder which includes psychotic features that produce obsessive thoughts about demonic entities.

Multiple legal issues exist regarding this ruling of the court system

Judge Stephen Smith confirmed that a previous legal evaluation displayed an incorrect interpretation of the law thus validating the deportation block. The man’s persistent belief in demonic possession according to the judge would make it more likely for Nigerian society to discriminate against him.

Many observers dispute the impact of this decision since it suggests the UK should not provide extended medical attention for international offenders who commit severe offenses. The immigration laws experienced a significant fault according to Alp Mehmet who holds the role of chairman at Migration Watch UK.

A new hearing is scheduled for the case while UK governmental officials might seek to contest the released decision.