Nigerian man Sues UK govt for denying him entry into the UK
A Nigerian identified as Mr Adeyemi Opebiyi, has sued the United Kingdom for refusing him entry after he was been granted a visa and had flown from Nigeria to the Manchester Airport.
Opebiyi, who says he’s the Head of Operations, Sabi Micro Finance Bank Ltd, said on arriving at Manchester Airport on March 14, 2021, he was stopped by a UK Immigration official, who insisted that he must be interviewed before he could be allowed into the UK.
According to Opebiyi, he was made to wait for eight hours at the immigration desk before he was interviewed by an Immigration officer, who asked him to draw the logo of Sabi Micro Finance Bank Ltd, and name the MD of his company, as a way of verifying his claim that he works with the company.
Opebiyi alleged that after drawing the logo as best as he could, the Immigration officer told him that the drawing was not good enough and he would be denied entry into the UK
He claims he was subsequently detained for 10 days before he was finally deported to Nigeria on March 24.
He said in response to his request for the review of the decision, he got a letter from the UK Home Office, reading: “You were asked to draw Sabi Micro Finance Bank LTD’s logo: What you drew bore little resemblance to the logos found on all the official paperwork you submitted for your visa application.
“Furthermore, you were initially unable to state the correct names of the current Chairperson and Managing Director of Sabi Micro Finance Bank Ltd. This is something a Head of Operations would know. You were also unable to describe the core values and mission of Sabi Micro Finance Bank Ltd as described on its website.”
In the suit filed by UK-based Nigerian lawyer, Mr Femi Aina, a Senior Consultant Solicitor with Martynsrose Solicitors, UK, Opebiyi is demanding damages for what he termed the unlawful and humiliating treatment meted out to him by the UK Immigration officers.
The applicant, through his lawyer, said he was entitled to a claim of between £5,000 and £20,000, with interest for flight fees, airport transportation while in Nigeria, immigration and visa fees and emotional trauma meted to him.
