A Federal Court judge has granted a Nigerian woman an urgent stay against deportation from Canada after she claimed a powerful businessman back home was using the courts and state machinery to force her into becoming his mistress.
OTTAWA – A Nigerian woman staring down deportation from Canada has been thrown a lifeline by the Federal Court, which accepted her chilling argument that sending her back would expose her to being forced into becoming a rich man’s mistress.
Amina E-Osmund Ekpo, 47, was all set to be put on a plane this week. But in a dramatic last-minute ruling Tuesday, Justice Negar Azmudeh slammed the brakes on her removal, citing the “high stakes” involved.
The case hinges on Ekpo’s claim that a powerful businessman back in Nigeria isn’t taking no for an answer. The judge’s decision paints a disturbing picture, alleging the mystery man is “using the state machinery, including the courts, to issue baseless summons or evict her from her apartment to ultimately force her into submissions.”
This wasn’t a full win for Ekpo. She’s still fighting for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) – her final, desperate bid to stay in Canada permanently. But Justice Azmudeh ruled it would be a grave injustice to kick her out before another judge can review an immigration officer’s decision to deny that assessment.
The judge took a sharp jab at the immigration officer’s logic. While the officer believed Ekpo’s story was credible, they still rejected her claim for a lack of “corroborative evidence.” Justice Azmudeh called this out, pointing out that independent reasons to doubt her story must exist first, and that refugee claimants often flee with nothing and can’t be expected to have documents at the ready.
The ruling also cited UNHCR guidelines that state there is no general requirement for a claimant to provide corroborating documents.
Federal immigration lawyers argued against the stay, calling Ekpo’s submission “unnecessarily long.” But the judge was unmoved, stating the public interest in enforcing a removal order is outweighed by the “significant and irreparable” harm Ekpo would face.
For now, Ekpo remains in Canada while her fate hangs in the balance. The case, as reported by the Ottawa Citizen, spotlights the very real, very personal dangers women can face when forced to return to countries where power and wealth can be weaponized against them.
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