‘ Nigerian asylum seeker fl own home on private jet’

A Nigerian seeking asylum in Britain has been removed from the country and reportedly flown home on a ‘ private plane’

Isa Mu’azu had sought asylum citing Boko Haram threats in Nigeria, but the UK Home Office rejected his application.

He began a hunger strike in protest, and lawyers launched appeals for him.

He lost the case on Thursday and his lawyers said yesterday that he was being flown back to Nigeria by the UK authorities.

The said Muazu, 45, is now “near death”, but the Home Office said he was “fit to fly” back to Nigeria, BBC reports.

The Court of Appeal had ruled against his argument that he was being “unlawfully held” at the Harmondsworth Immigration Detention Centre in West London.

Last- minute challenges by his lawyers to halt his removal were also rejected.

He said he came to the UK “for a better life”, and would “rather die” than face removal.

His lawyers launched two last- minute attempts to halt his removal at midnight on Thursday and yesterday morning, but each challenge was rejected by the judge.

Solicitor Toufique Hossain said Mr. Muazu has not been answering his phone since early Friday and he believed a charter flight has been booked to fly him to Abuja, Nigeria, yesterday night.

On Thursday night, protesters gathered outside Harmondsworth detention centre, near Heathrow Airport, to highlight his case.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed one man was arrested for criminal damage and was reported to have glued himself to a gate.

Duncan Lewis Solicitors said in a statement that Muazu feared he would be “killed by Islamic extremists” on his return to Nigeria.

Mr. Muazu has been held in detention since he claimed asylum in July, saying he faced persecution from the hard- line Islamic group Boko Haram.

His case was fast- tracked, but rejected in August, just seven days after his interview.

Mr. Muazu’s supporters say he has been on hunger strike for more than 100 days.

Mr. Hossain also said Mr. Muazu’s removal was originally set by scheduled flight for November 27.

This was then rearranged for “express reasons of administrative preference”.

Mr. Hossain said: “the Home Secretary went to great lengths to remove this seriously- ill man from the UK.

“She didn’t allow him an in- country right of appeal against his asylum refusal - at massive expense to tax payers, she hired a private charter plane to remove Mr. Muazu to Nigeria.”

Mr. Hossain said he now “did not know” where Mr. Muazu was. “We lost contact with him late last night,” he said.

“We fear for his safety now on return but we will be looking at pursuing further appeals if we do make contact with him in Nigeria. He should not have been removed from the UK.”