A Nigerian psychotic armed robber and crack cocaine dealer has been spared deportation from the United Kingdom.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspect was pardoned because his mental illness would be considered “demonic possession” in Nigeria.
The offender, who is not named for legal reasons, was jailed for seven years for carrying out an armed robbery on a brothel in 2011 and seven years later, jailed for supplying crack cocaine.
A deportation order was made against the suspect in April 2014, but he appealed on human rights grounds.
In his appeal judgment, Stephen Smith, an upper tribunal judge ruled that treatment for the convicted criminal’s psychosis in Nigeria would not be good enough.
According to reports; the offender has spent much of his time in a secure mental health hospital in UK and “hears voices all the time,” but he is now back in the community.
The judge ruled, “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 report prepared by Amnesty International for the offender’s appeal states, “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 separate medical report found that the migrant experienced intrusive memories and nightmares and was preoccupied with demonic forces “playing tricks with his mind.”
Judges said deporting him 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”.
In defence, the suspect pleaded for a second chance.
He 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.”
According to his key worker, the man has been attending the gym five to six days a week and works as a volunteer once a week.
