http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/deportation-looms-for-athlete-who-won-gold-for-uk-1838759.html

A disabled athlete who has won five gold medals for Britain was set to be deported to Nigeria last night after losing his legal battle to live in the UK.


Vincent Onwubiko, 42, a power-lifter from Lewisham, in south-east London, represented Britain at the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1995 and 1997 and at the World Champion of Champions competition in Birmingham in 1996.

He came to the UK in 1994 and is married to a British citizen with whom he has an 11-year-old daughter.

But in 2007 Mr Onwubiko was sentenced to five months in prison for driving while disqualified after twice being convicted of careless driving, once after jumping a red light.

At the end of his sentence Mr Onwubiko, who is wheelchair-bound as a result of polio, was arrested and taken to Dover Immigration Removal Centre, which he claims would not admit him because he does not have the use of his legs.

Instead he was taken to Brixton prison in south London. In January 2008, he was granted bail, but re-arrested last August after being called in for an interview, and has been in detention ever since.

His removal on a Virgin Atlantic flight was set for 10.30pm last night from Heathrow's Terminal 3.

But yesterday his supporters claimed lawyers had successfully won an injunction against his removal and that his case was still before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Ellie Schling, who has been campaigning for Mr Onwubiko to be allowed to stay in the UK, said: "His physical condition is deteriorating while he is being held in Brixton Prison and he has not got access to the hospital or medical care he needs."

She added: "Vincent is seeking release to an address in Lewisham pending the resolution of outstanding legal cases. He says that no criminal prosecution is being pursued against him and that the Home Office is simply seeking to have him removed from the UK."

Glyn Hibbert, director of the British Wheelchair Sports Foundation, has described Mr Onwubiko as an "excellent weightlifter and a decent young man". He said that, if the Home Office had granted him papers to obtain a visa, Mr Onwubiko would have been part of the GB team at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.

Last night the Home Office said it was unaware of any outstanding legal action that prevented his removal from Britain.

David Wood, head of criminality and detentions at the UK Border Agency, said: "In light of a number of criminal convictions, Vincent Onwubiko was notified on 13 November 2007 of a decision to make a deportation order against him. We have fully considered his case and made sure that his human rights are not breached. This decision has been reviewed and upheld by an immigration judge. The UK Border Agency has not been presented with a European Court of Human Rights injunction preventing his removal and we have not received any new representations from either Mr Onwubiko or his representatives."

It is not the first time a disabled person has been deported. In the summer, the disability network Radar wrote to Home Secretary Alan Johnson to try to stop the deportation of a disabled failed asylum seeker, Abbas Sharifi, arguing that he would not get support for his mental health problems in his home country, Afghanistan.

Chief executive, Liz Sayce, said that there was a "very strong and compelling case" for Mr Sharifi, 49, to remain in the UK, but he was deported in August.

That is called use and dump, its not funny at all .

I pray make God dey guild us (Amen)

The man allowed himself to be used.

this is modern time slavery, when he was useful to them, they exploited him, now that they have more young and vibrant "slaves" coming to their country, they want to dispose the old and tired ones. A leopard will never change its spot. (BRITAIN)

typical:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/deportation-looms-for-athlete-who-won-gold-for-uk-1838759.html
But in 2007 Mr Onwubiko was sentenced to five months in prison for driving while disqualified after twice being convicted of careless driving, once after jumping a red light.

David Wood, head of criminality and detentions at the UK Border Agency, said: "In light of a number of criminal convictions, Vincent Onwubiko was notified on 13 November 2007 of a decision to make a deportation order against him.

This case is sad ,but no one should be above the law. . . .

honeric01:

this is modern time slavery, when he was useful to them, they exploited him, now that they have more young and vibrant "slaves" coming to their country, they want to dispose the old and tired ones. A leopard will never change its spot. (BRITAIN)

I don't see anything wrong with this.
If a doctor commits a crime that's punishable by deportation, he's sent out.
Why should it be any different for an athlete?? Do other professions not contribute to the societal well-being??
Oh because he won five golds we should leave him alone?? Marion Jones got five medals and she still got locked up for deceiving the FBI.

It's the UK, the laws are the same for everyone . . . We should learn from this.
The law for the common thief should be the same for the corrupt politician.

I am sure the guy in question is not using the right lawyers. Sometimes the govt at Westminster gives you the lawyers that will aid and speed up ones deportation. I have seen cases of worse traffic offences here in the UK and the culprits were not deported.

eldee:

I don't see anything wrong with this.
If a doctor commits a crime that's punishable by deportation, he's sent out.
Why should it be any different for an athlete?? Do other professions not contribute to the societal well-being??
Oh because he won five golds we should leave him alone?? Marion Jones got five medals and she still got locked up for deceiving the FBI.

It's the UK, the laws are the same for everyone . . . We should learn from this.
The law for the common thief should be the same for the corrupt politician.

OK why dont they deport him b4 wining gold?

Look my friend, truth be told, when they use you , they will definately dump u atlast, this has been happening so many years ago. Pray make dem no use and dump u. Na work place bad pass (use and dump). cheiiiii make God save us.

Andre Uweh:

I am sure the guy in question is not using the right lawyers. Sometimes the govt at Westminster gives you the lawyers that will aid and speed up ones deportation. I have seen cases of worse traffic offences here in the UK and the culprits were not deported.

Thank you my friend, well said. They know what they are doing, even the lawyer they will give to you is their friend and at the end of the day he will say "sorry" to you.

Racism,racism,racism, ,does that offence worths deportation?

skfa1:

OK why dont they deport him b4 wining gold?

Look my friend, truth be told, when they use you , they will definately dump u atlast, this has been happening so many years ago. Pray make dem no use and dump u. Na work place bad pass (use and dump). cheiiiii make God save us.

If he commited these crimes before the event, he'd have been long gone.
Let's not let patriotism cloud our rational thinking, he couldn't win the cases in court, if the punishment he deserves is deportation, then he should go.
I don't care if he's the world long jump champion . . .

They've deported countless doctors and bankers for various criminal offences . . . it'll be unfair for them to let him stay if he committed crimes that are legally punishable by deportation.

Andre Uweh:

I am sure the guy in question is not using the right lawyers. Sometimes the govt at Westminster gives you the lawyers that will aid and speed up ones deportation. I have seen cases of worse traffic offences here in the UK and the culprits were not deported.

Are you accusing them of bribing lawyers here??
Come on!!!

Besides, he's not even fighting the judgement on grounds of wrongful application of the law.
He's fighting it on human rights grounds . . . he's using the fact that he's disabled to try to escape this, that says sumn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFB4L5C-OE8&feature=related

If he has been in the uk for over ten years with a british child of over 8years that probably depend on him full time,if he is a good father,the article 8 of european human right family law should be able be to redeem  him.the "redeemers".

As long as he is not a murderer,a paedophile,an armed robber,he doesn't deserve deportation,with his disability into consideration too,even british cabinet ministers commit awkward traffic offenses and get nothing but fines.

This is the shame of being backward as a people,a living man should be able to choose where he lives at all time,it doesn't have to be britain,but because we are not up to it,we are scared of living in our own world

Sad but law of the land must prevail.

I doubt he'd be deported though.
Common sense must be applied.

OMO IBO:

Sad but law of the land must prevail.

I doubt he'd be deported though.
Common sense must be applied.

Common sense or Law of the Land which one do you subscribe to? But its weird to deport a legal cus of trafic offence. Even illegals that drive without licence and insurance are rarely deported talkless of a legal man with kid and a british wife for many years. Why haven't they given him passport? U must be a citizen to represent a country.

presido1:

Common sense or Law of the Land which one do you subscribe to? But its weird to deport a legal cus of trafic offence. Even illegals that drive without licence and insurance are rarely deported talkless of a legal man with kid and a british wife for many years. Why haven't they given him passport? U must be a citizen to represent a country.

Between you and I we may scream common sense all we like.

If this guy has violated immigration rules the books will be thrown at him especially as a non-European.

The fact that people get away with driving without licence, insurance and other false documents doesn't make this case right.

If he has committed an offence then it is only right for him to do the time.

I'm at loss as to why he is yet to get a regularise his stay by virtue of the number of years he's been married and also how long he's been in the country.

Things are really not as easy as they seem.

I feel sorry for this guy but I honestly hope common sense prevail.

presido1:

Common sense or Law of the Land which one do you subscribe to? But its weird to deport a legal cus of trafic offence. Even illegals that drive without licence and insurance are rarely deported talkless of a legal man with kid and a british wife for many years. Why haven't they given him passport? U must be a citizen to represent a country.

You see now where dem even wound themself, why would they even allow him to represent their country when he is not a citizen? I believe strongly the reason is to achieve the glory and after that they just pushed the guy away (They`ve been doing that for a long time). So in that case, they too are committing crime (using someone who is not a citizen to achieve glory). Beside its also weird to deport cause of traffic offence, so for example, if I am a citizen, where will u deport me to? wount they just give me another punishment? wount they?

I'm thinking they`ve tried to deport the guy using different reasons but nothing is working, now they are using traffic offence. Look i know what this people can do, I have been in some of their shittssss before until i won several cases in court, even some cases that should not have been in the court in the first place, I still won.


Lets leave words jare.

presido1:

Even illegals that drive without licence and insurance are rarely deported talkless of a legal man with kid and a british wife for many years. Why haven't they given him passport? U must be a citizen to represent a country.

This is why i said what i said earlier on, this is pure USE AND DUMP, he represented the country as what? a foreigner? he must have done it as a citizen because a foreigner can't represent another country except he or she has been nationalized. so where are they deporting him to? he is a Briton now and that can't be changed just because he committed a traffic (driving) offense.
one more thing, maybe the government didn't even know he represented them already as a Briton.

honeric01:

This is why i said what i said earlier on, this is pure USE AND DUMP, he represented the country as what? a foreigner? he must have done it as a citizen because a foreigner can't represent another country except he or she has been nationalized. so where are they deporting him to? he is a Briton now and that can't be changed just because he committed a traffic (driving) offense.
one more thing, maybe the government didn't even know he represented them already as a Briton.

Why wount they know? they know jare, everything has record in UK. The fact is that they themself are committing two crimes which are

1 use and dump

2 using another national to achieve glory

They need to leave that guy and chill out.

Chei na wa oo. . . .
But why disabled man sef dey run redlight

British are vicious.

skfa1:

Why wount they know? they know jare, everything has record in UK. The fact is that they themself are committing two crimes which are

1 use and dump

2 using another national to achieve glory

They need to leave that guy and chill out.

i was trying to help them make excuses

Unfair decision by the British

I feel for the man

That Naija gurl wey dey run for their country weting dem they call her name erogu or eriogu abi wetin? i pray make them no dump am one day

nah so dem dump those black guys wey dem take dig london underground, go dump them for jamaica,cheiiii

Come see as dem dump person for my working place o after using them for several months.


They will just tell u "Im sorry mate" , it is then that u will know that, that is the end (use and dump)

the long jump guy, wetin be him name too, idowu something

This guy is convicted of only traffic offences, OMG,
And he is to be deported.He was married to a british citizen and have an 11 year old daughter and above all disabled.
This british Imigration officials are sick.
Germany is even more lenient.

Wow

This is plain bullshit. It must have been something else jo. It can't be just traffic violation. I have bad driving records in London. I get a DUI whenever I go back there my last was 2007 summer. My license there is probably banned by now but I never get arrested for no reason; infact I get a free cab home for claiming to feel sick due to allergies. There must be something we don't know about in this news. If he was illegal, how did he represent Britain in an event? .Maybe there is a mix up somewhere if not, more immigrants from Africa should be ready for home. All those time Britain claims to be losing datas, it might be their way of sending people home. He represented the wrong country. Hahahahahah. Upon that him still get polio hahahahaha. Britain and their yeyeness.

Off topic:::
London without Black folks will be the biggest boring city in the world. When I'm in London, I love what I see, diversity at it's best. To the guy that called it racism, I like to think England is more of a ageist society not racist society. You are more likely to be pulled over and searched if you are young no matter your race. They seem to be right most of the time. I've been arrested with a pepper spray in my jacket back in grade 7. Trust me that pepper spray was up to no good that day.

deport the basturd!

honeric01:

the long jump guy, wetin be him name too, idowu something

Phillips Idowu. . . _{He got a british passport though}

MrCrackles:

Phillips Idowu. . . _{He got a british passport though}

yea thanks, so why is this man's case different? where do they want to deport him to? he is a Briton for crying out loud.

9jaganja:

Wow
This is plain bullshit. It must have been something else jo. It can't be just traffic violation. I have bad driving records in London. I get a DUI whenever I go back there my last was 2007 summer. My license there is probably banned by now but I never get arrested for no reason; infact I get a free cab home for claiming to feel sick due to allergies.

I can't believe you have the guts to say you had DUI openly on this forum,you must really be a kid like you always claim to be.You need to grow up, you know.Kids are under sixteens,anything out side that should be responsible and accountable.

Wetin concern agbero wit overlord. I dey kampe for naija, no leave no transfer, i no send