Canada Denies Retired Nigerian Police Officer Asylum Over Force’s ‘Dented Image’

A retired Nigerian police officer’s bid for asylum in Canada has been rejected due to dented image of the Nigeria Police Force in the international community.

Martins Peter Nwokolo, who retired as a traffic warden, had his appeal dismissed by Madam Justice Ngo of a federal court in Ontario, Canada, in October 2024 citing the Force’s notorious reputation for extortion, bribery, and other vices vitiating the ex-officer’s case.

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Following two asylum rejections, the first by the Refugee Protection kaws yeezy lacing back to print Vs. Asics Superblast 2 , adidas albrecht spezial women black hair care , adidas spezial primeknit ebay sale items - Between 2 Shoes Division (RPD) and the other by the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD), Martins Peter Nwokolo sought the court’s assistance to review the unfavourable decisions of the immigration agencies, citing unreasonableness and breach of procedural fairness.

But Ms Ngo, in October 2024, dismissed Mr Nwokolo’s grievances as ill-conceived, stressing that the RPD and RAD were right to deny him asylum given that a section of the Canadian law forbids the issuance of refugee status to persons who have committed “serious non-political crimes” before coming to Canada.

The justice said that Mr Nwokolo, who retired as a traffic warden under the Nigerian Police, fell into this category of non-political criminals because the Nigerian security outfit was infamous for “extortion and bribery.”

“On April 11, 2022, the RPD found serious reasons to consider that the Applicant committed, under Article 1F(b) of the Convention, serious non-political crimes prior to entering Canada, namely extortion and bribery,” Ms Go said in her ruling on October 23, 2024.

Ms Ngo determined that officers of the force contribute significantly to Nigeria’s corruption.

“The RPD found that the police force as well as the traffic wardens are highly corrupt and that members of these forces nike jordan flight 45 burgundy blue suit for women are expected to contribute to this system of returns,” the justice stated.

Mr Nwokolo refuted the accusations, saying he neither collected bribes nor extorted citizens during his years in active service. However, Ms Go said the RPD had strong reasons to believe otherwise.

Even though the applicant alleges that he has never air jordan 4 military blue 2024 taken any bribes or extorted people as a traffic warden, the RPD found that there were serious reasons to consider that the applicant participated in those activities,” Ms Go said.

Mr Nwokolo, a pastor at the Chapel of Power Ministries since 2005, told the RPD that he was offered the position of chief priest in Nigeria. He rejected the position, a move that he claimed triggered his persecution in 2018.

He first relocated to another part of Nigeria and eventually japa to the U.S. in 2018. It was from America that he moved to Canada to file for asylum

Due to the tarnished image of Nigeria’s police abroad, several asylum applications by former security operatives have fallen through.

In late 2023, Nigeria’s international image further plunged when rogue police officers intercepted and openly demanded a bribe from a female Dutch biker.

A video that went viral showed how Noraly Schoenmaker, aka ‘Itchy Boots,’ was waylaid by Nigeria Police personnel on the Moniya-Iseyin Road, Oyo State, who unashamedly demanded money from her.

In November, a police officer was detained for stealing N10 million from a resident in Bayelsa State.

Four policemen stole N1 million from three corps members in Lagos State in September, another N360,000 from a petty trader also in Lagos, N119,000 from a content creator while N140,000 was taken from a student in Niger State.

Ogwu Chijioke, an X user, also revealed on Saturday that Delta State police stole N750,000 from his brother in-law weeks ago via PoS terminal.

Meanwhile, on December 4, Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), announced that four officers had been suspended in connection with the stealing of N43.16 million.

From air jordan 1 low og florida gators pe the stolen money a total of N74.95 million was recovered during an unauthorised arrest in Abuja in 2023. Instead of reporting the actual recovered amount, they reported only N31.79 million and concealed the remaining.

“Forensic intelligence showed that this group of officers conspired and stole part of the money, amounting to N43,160,000, and tasked one of them to move the cash out of the FCT for hiding pending when the heat blows over,” said Adejobi.