CANADA REJECTS EX-SARS OPERATIVE’S ASYLUM APPLICATION

A CANADIAN COURT SITTING IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO, HAVE UPHELD THE DECISION OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO DENY A FORMER OPERATIVE OF THE DEFUNCT SPECIAL ANTI-ROBBERY SQUAD (SARS), OLUSHOLA POPOOLA, ENTRY TO THE COUNTRY.

THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT HAD EARLIER REJECTED POPOOLA’S QUEST TO ENTER THE NORTH AMERICAN NATION BECAUSE OF HIS STATUS AS AN OPERATIVE OF THE NIGERIAN POLICE TACTICAL SQUAD THAT WAS DISBANDED BY THE GOVERNMENT LAST YEAR OVER REPORTS OF RIGHTS VIOLATIONS.

JUSTICE SEBASTIEN GRAMMOND, WHO DELIVERED THE VERDICT, UPHELD THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT’S FINDINGS THAT “THE NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE, AND THE SARS IN PARTICULAR, HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FROM 2002 TO 2015.

THE JUDGE ADDED THAT THE MERE FACT THAT THE APPLICANT HANDED OVER SUSPECTS TO THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT” DESPITE KNOWING THAT THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS HAD MADE “A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION” TO SARS ATROCITIES.