Nigerian Fraudster Avoids Deportation as Judge Rules Nigerian Healthcare System Can’t Meet Needs of Wife, Children

A Nigerian man who defrauded multiple women of nearly £200,000 in an online romance scam has avoided deportation from the UK after a tribunal ruled that his British wife and children could not access the necessary medical care in Nigeria.

Emmanuel Jack, 35, was convicted in 2014 for posing as an architect on dating websites and scamming six women out of £186,000. Despite serving a three-year prison sentence, he has been allowed to remain in the UK following a legal challenge against a deportation order issued by the Home Office in 2022.

The immigration and asylum tribunal in London ruled in Jack’s favour, determining that deportation would be “unduly harsh” on his family, who face complex and ongoing medical challenges. His wife suffers from medical issues related to pregnancy, his 18-month-old son was born prematurely and requires specialist care for serious developmental issues, and his six-year-old daughter has significant eyesight problems. Jack also helps care for his wife’s 16-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, who described him as central to the family’s stability.

Tribunal judges said the family relies on regular consultations with UK-based specialists and multidisciplinary teams, and found that relocating to Nigeria would severely disrupt their treatment. They acknowledged that while medical services exist in Nigeria, the care needed for all three children in one location would be difficult to access and far less consistent.

The panel also recognised Jack’s deep involvement in his children’s care, describing him as a “loving and very hands-on father.” A letter from the family’s priest supported this view, warning that deportation would be disastrous and emotionally devastating.

Jack arrived in the UK in 1997 and was granted indefinite leave to remain. Before his fraud conviction, he successfully applied for British citizenship, which was later revoked. He has been married to his British wife for over six years and argued that deportation would cause disproportionate harm to his family life.

In their final ruling, the judges concluded that the emotional, psychological, and practical consequences of Jack’s removal from the UK would be severe for his wife and children. Despite the public interest in deporting foreign criminals, the tribunal found that the impact on his family outweighed those considerations, allowing Jack to remain in the UK.