Nigerian Authorities Refuse Landing for UK Private Jet Carrying Starving Deportee, Isa Muazu

A Nigerian man said to be "near death" following a hunger strike is back in the UK after the Home Office flight deporting him had to turn around.

According to BBC, Muazu, who has been on a hunger strike since September, came to the UK in 2007 on a visitor's visa. But stayed on without permission after it ran out in 2008. He even got a job.

But on 25 July this year, he was detained. Muazu then applied for asylum, claiming that he was going to be killed by the murderous Islamist group Boko Haram if he returns to Nigeria. That they had already killed members of his family.

His application was fast-tracked but in August it was rejected. Muazu was then detained at Harmondsworth removal centre in preparation for deportation. To protest the way his asylum claim was treated and against his detention, Muazu went on hunger strike. Home Office still rejected his arguments and attempted to deport the 45-year-old on Friday after he lost a series of legal challenges.

On Friday Muazu was deported. By that time he had gone more than 100 days without food, and weighed only 53 kilos, even though he is nearly six feet tall.
He was so ill, according to the Liberal peer Lord Roberts, who has campaigned against the deportation, that his doctor said that he was not fit to fly.

That did not stop the Home Office.
Initially the plan was to fly him out on a regular Virgin Atlantic plane, but that was cancelled, presumably because Virgin didn't want a man who could not stand or see and might die in flight upsetting the passengers.

Undeterred, Home Office rented a private jet at an estimated cost of £180,000 (N45m), and on Friday they flew him to Nigeria, with Home Office officials accompanying him.

On approaching Abuja airport however, the Nigerian authorities refused to let the plane land, for reasons that have not been made clear.

The privately-chartered jet carrying Mr Muazu was in the air for a number of hours, and was forced to return to the UK, via Malta.

The Home Office has refused to comment on the latest developments, but it is understood they are working with the Nigerian government to try to secure Mr Muazu's removal. 

 

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