Ninth Time's the Charm: Woman Secures UK Asylum After IPOB Involvement

 

A 49-year-old Nigerian woman who had been denied asylum in the UK eight times has finally won the right to stay after joining the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—a move a judge acknowledged was done deliberately to strengthen her claim.

The woman, who arrived in the UK in 2011, became a member of IPOB in 2017. The separatist group, which advocates for an independent Biafra, has been designated a terrorist organization by Nigeria, though it is not classified as such in the UK.

According to Upper Tribunal Judge Gemma Loughran, her involvement with IPOB means she now has a "well-founded fear of persecution" if deported, leading to her asylum being granted.

The ruling has sparked criticism, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip calling it a "comically ludicrous" interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case also highlights an increasing trend of tribunal rulings halting deportations or granting asylum based on human rights laws.

The woman had argued that returning to Nigeria would put her at risk of arrest and enforced disappearance. However, an earlier ruling by Lower Tribunal Judge Iain Burnett rejected her claim, stating there was insufficient evidence to prove she was politically active within IPOB.

Despite this, Judge Loughran overturned the decision, stating that even if her membership was motivated by asylum purposes, Nigerian authorities would likely identify and target her as an activist upon her return.

In her ruling, Judge Loughran emphasized that Nigerian security forces often act arbitrarily, detaining and harming individuals suspected of being involved with IPOB—without properly assessing the extent of their involvement.

She concluded:

"The appeal is allowed on the basis that [the Nigerian woman] has a well-founded fear of persecution on account of her imputed political opinion arising from her involvement with IPOB in the UK."