After claiming to be demon-possessed, a Nigerian man convicted of drug selling and armed robbery has been allowed to stay in the UK.
In 2011, the man—whose name is being withheld for legal reasons—was first given a seven-year prison sentence for armed robbery at a brothel.
In 2018, he was imprisoned once more for supplying crack cocaine after being released.
He appealed on human rights grounds, citing serious mental health concerns, notwithstanding a deportation order that was issued against him in April 2014.
Since then, he has largely been undergoing therapy for his illness at a secure mental health facility..
According to a medical assessment that was presented to the court, the individual has psychotic symptoms and a trauma-related condition.
The report claims that he has nightmares, intrusive recollections, and a pervasive sense that supernatural entities are controlling his thoughts.
The court was told that his belief that he was under the influence of demons was making his mental illness worse.
The judge pointed out that these convictions might have a big influence on how he would be regarded if he went back to Nigeria, where people still have a lot of worries about witchcraft and demonic possession.
The case’s presiding court, court Stephen Smith, declared that a prior judge had erred in law in addressing the man’s appeal.
The man’s strong belief in demonic possession is believed will put him in trouble if deported.
“We assess that him expressing this belief would increase the likelihood that others will see his illness as being a manifestation of possession,”
Judge Smith stated in his ruling.
A report by Amnesty International supported this argument, warning that the man could face significant dangers in Nigeria due to local superstitions and
stigmatization of mental health disorders.
The report stated: “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.”
The court concluded that the individual would no longer be able to access the structured therapeutic environment that he currently enjoys in the UK if he were deported. Judges determined that deporting him could have serious repercussions for his wellbeing because of the paucity of mental health care options in Nigeria.
According to reports, the man has also stated that he wants to put his criminal history behind him. He has been participating in rehabilitation activities, according to court documents, which include working for community initiatives and going to the gym on a regular basis.
He is currently still in the UK pending the outcome of a fresh hearing that will decide his long-term immigration status.
(Independent)
