US Grants 12-Year-Old Nigerian Chess Champion Asylum

Government of the United States of America has granted Tanitoluwa Adewumi, the 12-year-old Nigerian refugee who won the NY State chess championship in 2019, and his family asylum.

Gatekeepers News reports that asylum is the protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their home country as a refugee.

In 2017, Tani’s family reportedly fled Nigeria for the US to seek religious asylum on account of the Boko Haram crisis.

At 8, he made the headlines after winning the 2019 New York chess championship by defeating 73 other opponents while living in a homeless center.

In 2021, Tani won yet another competition to officially become a national chess master in the US.

Washington Post reported that the little boy was thrilled after his family’s request for asylum was granted by the US government.

Tani said, “It feels amazing because it’s been such a long journey. I’m just grateful that we’ve gotten this opportunity.”

His father, Kayode Adewumi said the whole family is excited, adding, “we feel so relieved, everybody is so happy.”

The development also comes as a relief to the chess champion whose career was somewhat hindered because of the pending application.

Tani had been unable to travel to compete in tournaments all over the world.

In November 2019, the South African comedian, Trevor Noah said he will produce a movie about Tani’s feat.

The movie, which would be adapted from three yet-to-published books on the Adewumi family, would follow the story of a Nigerian household that escapes terrorism and sought asylum in New York, against all odds.