A Nigerian man, Sam Okwuoha, accused by the Irish authorities of obstructing his deportation, has pleaded not guilty in court.
Okwuoha, 28, who had been in custody and on remand since March 10, appeared before Cloverhill District Court last Friday via video link.
The Irish Times reported he had first appeared before the court on the charge of resisting deportation despite a signed order.
He, however, told the judge, Alan Mitchell, that his arrest was a case of mistaken identity.
He said he did not commit the offence for which he was arrested and charged, as stated under Section 8 (1) (a), (2) and 9 of the Immigration Act 1999.
The Irish authorities accused the Nigerian of obstructing or hindering his deportation at Dublin Airport, but he claimed he was one of 10 identical brothers.
He was initially charged following an investigation by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
The man, who had previously lived in Dublin, replied, “I am not the person.” He was denied bail and remanded in custody
A detective on the case, Graham Dillon, said, “We attempted to deport this man, and he obstructed the deportation.”
Okwuoha’s legal counsel told the court that his client said he was “one of decuplets”, that is, 10 children from the same pregnancy.
He stated that he had nine identical brothers and that he “swapped places with his brother and came to Ireland.”
The detective believed Okwuoha would not appear in court if granted bail and that he had a history of bench warrants for failing to attend proceedings.
He was also accused of “giving different names, using different dates of birth and identities.”
The charge was a “summary only” offence, dealt with at the District Court level, and punishable by a maximum 12-month sentence and a fine of up to €2,500.
The case was adjourned.
By: Biodun Busari
