Ireland-based Nigerian man who claimed to be one of 10 identical brothers deported after murder threat conviction

A Nigerian man previously convicted of terrorism offences in Ireland has been deported to Nigeria after a lengthy immigration case in which he claimed authorities had mistaken him for one of his nine identical brothers.

According to the People’s Gazette, Sam Okwuoha was removed from Ireland after authorities pursued deportation proceedings against him.

Okwuoha had earlier attracted attention after claiming he was one of decuplets — 10 children born from the same pregnancy — and that officials had confused him with one of his identical brothers.

The unusual identity claim emerged during court proceedings after an earlier attempt to deport him from Dublin Airport was aborted.

The People’s Gazette reported in March that Okwuoha had been prosecuted for allegedly obstructing that deportation attempt, the first prosecution of its kind under the relevant provision of Ireland’s Immigration Act. Gardaí told the court they were “100 per cent confident” of his identity.

His lawyers had told the court that Okwuoha maintained he was not the person named in the charge and claimed he had switched places with a brother before coming to Ireland. Authorities disputed his account.

Okwuoha’s deportation came days after at least six other Nigerians carrying a combined 35 criminal convictions were also removed from Ireland, signalling a stepped-up enforcement posture by Irish immigration authorities.