Father 'in fear for life' returns

A FORMER school governor who had fled from immigration officials looking to deport him and his family has returned to his Aspley home.

Kalbert Osibodu is being deported to Nigeria despite living in Nottingham for five years and having two children here.

The 40-year-old, who recently resigned as a governor at Ambleside Primary School because of his circumstances, left through his back door in the early hours of Saturday morning after suspecting immigration officials were approaching his Aspley home.

Mr Osibodu says he had been informed officials were approaching his home at about 1am. He then saw "a lot of new vans in the street" and decided to leave the house. But after speaking to his solicitor in Manchester he is now back in Nottingham.

He had been seeking asylum in the UK after fleeing Nigeria, claiming he feared for his life.

The father-of-four, who worked as an accountant for the Nigerian Government, said he was targeted as a suspected 'whistle blower' because of his political opposition to the country's government.

Mr Osibodu, who had volunteered at Framework Housing and Mencap, says he fears for his life if he is sent back to Nigeria with his wife Adetutu, 34, and their four children.

He claims one of his children was killed by state thugs in Nigeria during a raid on his home.

He also claims that an attempt was made on his life when he was attacked with a machete to the head and body.

"The state government spent money corruptly," he said. "Anything that came in and anything that goes out passed through me.

"They knew I was a People's Democratic Party member. They said I was a whistle blower.

"They came to my house. My son was sleeping on the sofa. They threw a big stool on the sofa and it hit my son on the chest.

"We took him to the hospital and he had internal bleeding."

Mr Osibodu insists his reasons for seeking asylum in the UK are genuine.

"My mother was a rich woman," he said. "I have got no cause to come abroad.

"If I go back to that country I bet you will hear a story about me. I know I will be killed.

"I am scared. I cannot sleep at night. My children that were born here have never been to Africa before. Nottingham is my home."

A judge told turned down Mr Osibodu's appeal against deportation.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said children born in the UK are only British citizens if either of their parents are British or settled in the UK.

The spokesman said: "We only seek to remove people who are in the UK unlawfully after independent courts have agreed they have no further right to remain here.

"We would much rather that failed asylum seekers accepted that fact and left voluntarily.

"Sadly, some people choose not to do so even though they are given every opportunity to leave voluntarily. We have a duty to enforce the law."

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen said: "The Government still believes that he and his family are in the country illegally and they don't accept that he would be in danger.

"We are doing our level best to represent his circumstances.

"He is a valued member of the community. Everyone knows him and feels that he had a strong case but the Government does not share that".

chris.birkle@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk