IPOB : Nigerian woman secures UK asylum after multiple rejections

A Nigerian migrant who had her asylum claims denied eight times has finally been granted the right to remain in the United Kingdom after aligning herself with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group, in an effort to strengthen her case.

According to British media, a judge ruled that the 49-year-old woman became involved with IPOB “in order to create a claim for asylum.”

The woman arrived in the UK in 2011 and later joined IPOB, which has been accused of violent activities and designated a terrorist organization by the Nigerian government in 2017. However, the UK does not classify the group as a terrorist organization.

Upper Tribunal Judge Gemma Loughran determined that her involvement in IPOB meant she faced a “well-founded fear of persecution” if she were to return to Nigeria.

Critics have questioned the ruling, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp calling it a “comically ludicrous” interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case is part of a broader trend in which tribunal rulings have halted deportations or granted asylum based on human rights protections.

The woman argued that returning to Nigeria could lead to her being arrested at the airport and “made to disappear,” as reported by The Telegraph.

A lower tribunal judge had previously dismissed her claim due to insufficient evidence of her involvement with IPOB. Judge Iain Burnett concluded that she had joined the group solely “in order to create a claim for asylum.”

However, the Upper Tribunal overturned that decision, ruling that she would likely be recognized as an activist upon her return, placing her at risk.