Safety risks: Canadian court halts deportation of Nigerian mother, son

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A federal court in Canada has halted the deportation of a Nigerian woman and her son, ruling that sending them back to Nigeria would expose them to serious risks to their mental health and safety.

The applicants, Shalewa Folashade Oladipupo and her son (name withheld), were scheduled for deportation to Nigeria on January 29, 2026, following the Canada Border Services Agency’s refusal of their request for deferral.In a ruling delivered on January 28, Allyson Nowak, the judge, granted an order staying their removal, holding that the pair had satisfied the legal requirements for such relief.“The applicants have met the legal test for a stay of their removal,” the judge ruled.

Court records show that Oladipupo and her son fled Nigeria to escape ritual practices allegedly demanded by her husband’s family.

The rituals, which were to be carried out annually, were said to include a final rite after her twins turned 18.Oladipupo told the court that the practices conflicted with her Christian faith, adding that she fled with one of the twins to prevent the final ritual from being completed.She alleged that failure to comply would result in death, telling the court that “a supernatural power will kill her and her sons” if the ritual was carried out. Thecable