The High Court has rejected a Nigerian man’s challenge to a Refugee Appeals Tribunal decision refusing his claim for refugee status.
B.A.O., from Ibadan in Oyo State, arrived in Ireland in June 2008 and sought asylum on the basis of alleged political persecution. He claimed that his father, whom he described as a prominent member of the Alliance for Democracy, was shot dead at the family home in December 2007 by armed men because of his political activities.
The applicant said he escaped from the attackers, reported the killing to police and later moved between several parts of Nigeria after being pursued by the same group. He ultimately travelled to Ireland using a false passport.
The Refugee Applications Commissioner recommended against granting him refugee status in June 2008. Following an oral appeal hearing in September, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal affirmed that recommendation on October 6, 2008.
The Tribunal expressed serious doubts about several central parts of B.A.O.’s account. It did not accept his descriptions of repeatedly escaping his alleged pursuers, questioned his limited knowledge of his father’s political organisation and found aspects of his oral evidence lacking in credibility. It also considered his account of travelling through Paris and Dublin using the false passport implausible.
B.A.O. challenged the decision, arguing among other matters that the Tribunal had not clearly explained whether it rejected his entire account, had relied improperly on his demeanour and had handled the issue of internal relocation inconsistently.
Mr Justice McDermott rejected those arguments. He held that the Tribunal had assessed credibility by considering the evidence as a whole and that its reasons related to central features of the protection claim rather than minor inconsistencies.
The judge also held that the Tribunal’s comments about the possibility of relocation within Nigeria did not undermine its decision. The Tribunal had found no established persecution and relocation was not central to its rejection of the claim.
The High Court therefore refused all relief sought, leaving the Tribunal’s refusal of refugee status in place.