Cletus U, the gay Nigerian football coach who was denied asylum in Austria and deported, has reported that he is in hiding and fears for his life.
According to
LGBT Asylum News, Cletus contacted the Austrian newsmagazine
Profil to report clandestinely on his situation. He explained that he is in hiding in the slums of Lagos, a seaside city in southeastern Nigeria. He told
Profil, "The police can come at any time, beat me, imprison or kill, because I am the way I am."
The press generated by Cletus’s asylum case has made his sexuality known internationally. LGBT Asylum News also reports than his parents, who live in northern Nigeria, where Muslim Sharia law governs, have also been informed that he is gay.
Cletus had been living in Austria illegally for six years before filing for asylum on the grounds of his sexuality. His claim was denied, and he was arrested April 29 and deported to Nigeria May 5. At the time of his arrest, Cletus was coaching a game for FC Sans Papiers, a soccer team and political organization devoted to garnering support for disenfranchised immigrants and refugees. Cletus also reported that his shoulder was injured during the arrest and still pains him.
His legal adviser, Tim Ausserhuber, claims that the denial was illegal due to a breach of proper procedure: “Asylum applications can that same day be turned down but they must be approved and processed.” Cletus claims he was never introduced to a representative from the Nigerian embassy. Ausserhuber faces penalties of €15,000 ($18,828) or up to six weeks in jail for arranging Cletus’s stay in Austria.
Cletus said he plans to return to Europe by way of Morocco: "It is better for me to perish in the desert or in the sea than here in Nigeria."
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