A psychotic Nigerian armed robber and crack cocaine dealer has been spared deportation because he would be considered “possessed” in the African country.
The criminal was jailed for seven years for carrying out an armed robbery on a brothel in 2011, and seven years later was jailed for supplying crack cocaine.
A deportation order was made more than 10 years ago in April 2014, but he appealed on human rights grounds.
The serial offender is still in Britain a decade on and has been allowed to stay because he believes he is possessed and treatment in his home country is not good enough, a judge has ruled.
The Nigerian criminal – who cannot be named for legal reasons – has spent much of his time in the UK in a secure mental health hospital and “hears voices all the time”. But he is now back in the community.
Experts say he presents a “high risk of serious harm” to the public. He is also addicted to crack cocaine. But because he is undergoing treatment and will not get the same care in Nigeria, he has been allowed to stay.
‘Belief in demonic forces’
Stephen Smith, an upper tribunal judge, has ruled a previous judge made an error of law.
He said: “We note the appellant’s recurring belief that his mental ill-health is a result of being possessed.
“We assess that him expressing this belief would increase the likelihood that others will see his illness as being a manifestation of possession.”
The court heard that a report prepared by Amnesty International for this appeal said: “It is our assessment that on return to Nigeria [the appellant] is likely … to encounter widespread attitudes that confirm and amplify his belief in demonic forces and witchcraft as being at the root of his problems.
“He is, moreover, at substantial risk of being identified as suffering from demonic forces and faces a resultant risk of being targeted as a result.”
A doctor found the appellant “suffered from a trauma-related disorder with psychotic features”.
His report found that the criminal experienced intrusive memories and nightmares and was preoccupied with demonic forces “playing tricks with his mind”.
His sleep was affected in a pathological manner, and he claimed that demons prevented him from moving when he woke up.
‘I want to live a normal life’
Judges said that the decision to deport the man to another country would require a comparison between “the highly prescriptive treatment environment currently enjoyed by the appellant with the removal of such provision in the destination country”.
The man has said: “I really want to stay away from crime. I don’t want to get into that predicament again … I want to live a normal life.”
While living in the community, his key worker said he had been attending the gym five to six days a week and working as a volunteer once a week.
A version of this report appeared in The Telegraph.
