Raphael age 5 has now been in detention for 67 days. Jacqui Smith the UK Home Secretary fully intends to remove Raphael and his mum to Nigeria:

'The government of Nigeria has done very little to address deeply-entrenched human rights problems. Despite record oil revenues in 2008, government corruption and mismanagement robbed Nigerians of their right to health and education. State security forces continued to commit extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion. Intercommunal and political violence, often fomented by powerful politicians, claimed hundreds of lives. Has undermined fledgling anti-corruption efforts, taken inadequate steps to address poverty and violence in the Niger Delta, and failed to investigate or hold to account government officials and security forces responsible for serious human rights abuses.

'Nigeria's poorly trained and under-resourced police force was in 2008 responsible for serious and persistent abuses, including extrajudicial killings of criminal suspects, torture, and extortion. More than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed by the police since 2000.'
HRW World Report 2009

Oluseye fled domestic abuse in Nigeria with her infant son Raphael in 2004. She applied for asylum in October 2007. She was then relocated to Bury in Greater Manchester where she quickly became a popular figure in local organisations supporting asylum seekers. She started an access course in Bury College last September.

Earlier this year Oluseye was interviewed in detention by a local Bury newspaper said: "I cannot go back there. I am afraid that we will be killed...I had to leave for my son's sake because I was raped and beaten up. I could not let him suffer, which is why I moved to the UK...I enjoyed college and I dreamed of having a better life and now that has been taken away."

Part of the UKBA's reason for refusing Oluseye asylum; is that she could seek protection from Nigerian police, the same police force that murder over 1,000 Nigerians a year!

She has the enthusiastic support of her friends in Bury, her College and the school community at her son's school. In the same newspaper article, the head of her children's school was quoted as saying "I wrote a letter of support for them. Raphael had settled well and was making good progress. We were pleased to have him here at the school."

Oluseye and five year old Raphael have been detained since 4th December. In January we urged people to campaign for her release and many letters have been sent to the Home Office, but have been ignored. The judicial review submitted by her previous solicitor was refused on 28th January and a flight for this Thursday was then arranged.

What you can do to help!
1) Email/Fax Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer British Airways and urge him not to carry out the forced removal of Helen Laolu-Balogun and her children. Attached model fax .You can copy, amend or write your own version - please include all the following details: "Forced Removal of Oluseye Shauba and her son Raphael, on British Airways Flight BA 075 from Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport at 10:30 on Thursday 12th February to Lagos.

Email:  willie.walsh@ba.com

Fax: 020 8759 4314 - from outside the UK + 44 20 8759 4314

Email: Jayne Atkinson, Government & Industry Affairs British Airways
 jayne.atkinson@ba.com

2) Please send urgent faxes/emails immediately to Rt. Hon Jacqui Smith, MP, Secretary of State for the Home Office, requesting that Raphael and his mother are released. Please use the 'model letter' RaphaelShaubaJS.doc attached or write your own version. If you do so, please remember to include HO ref: S/38066/3

Fax: 020 8760 3132 / + 44 20 8760 3132 if you are faxing from outside UK)

Emails:  Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
 UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
"CIT - Treat Official"


Please let the campaign know of any emails/faxes sent:
Bury Campaign Against the Detention of Children
 george@heronbg.info

Thanks,
George Heron for the Campaign
End of Bulletin:

Source for this Message:
Bury Campaign Against the Detention of Children