Nigerian woman ‘will be stoned to death if deported’

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell will be sending a Nigerian woman to her death if he does not overturn a deportation order against her, it was claimed last night.

Nimota Kate Banidele, who lives in west Dublin, could be stoned to death under strict Islamic laws if she is sent back because she had three children outside marriage with a Christian man.

The Residents Against Racism group held a demonstration outside Mr McDowell’s Progressive Democrat party office yesterday afternoon and presented a petition with over 2,000 signatures calling for the 38-year-old to be allowed stay in Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman Aengus Ó Snódaigh said: “This is not fair, it’s not reasonable.

“The minister would be effectively sending her home to die if he doesn’t rescind this deportation order immediately.”

Ms Banidele was sentenced to death by a Sharia law court in northern Nigeria in August 2002 but she escaped from prison and fled to Ireland seeking asylum.

However, her asylum application was turned down and she now faces deportation back to Nigeria with others within days.

She is considering a judicial review against her deportation after she was asked to report to the Garda National Immigration Bureau before Thursday under the Immigration Act, 1999.

Residents Against Racism spokesman Rosanna Flynn said: “Minister McDowell has the power to allow her to stay in Ireland and thus save her life.”

Ms Banidele told a newspaper in February: “If I have to go back there they will kill me. They will find me.”

Peace campaigner Caoimhe Butterly said it was “crystal clear” Ms Banidele would face genuine persecution and death when she returned to Nigeria. She added: “The only moral option for the Government is to allow her to stay in Ireland. It would be an unspeakable act to deport her.”

Mick O’Reilly, of the ATGWU union, described the situation as “horrendous” and said it would be inexcusable if the Government allowed Ms Banidele to be deported.

The senior industrial organiser added: “It could be the single worst thing a minister for justice has ever allowed to happen in the history of the State.”

Dublin Labour councillor Aodhan O’Riordan accused Mr McDowell and the PD party of creating a “culture of suspicion” towards asylum seekers.

The inner-city representative added: “The party has no real policy on immigration and just seems to be making it up on a completely ad hoc basis.”

Placards carried by about 20 protesters outside the PD offices on South Frederick Street yesterday read: “Don’t play games with Kate’s Life” and “Will You Cast The First Stone, Minister?”