By Milcah Tanimu
A Nigerian man’s heartbreaking story has emerged, as he finds himself stranded and at risk of deportation in the UK after his wife abandoned him and their children at an airport. The story was shared by a user with the handle @Jayydubby on the ‘Nigerians in the UK’ community on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter).
The man had sold all his possessions to support his wife’s move to the UK for her studies in 2022, with the plan of joining her later with their children as her dependents. However, upon their arrival in the UK in October, he received a devastating shock when his wife took their children and their passports, informing him that their marriage was over.
Now, the young man is left in a dire situation without a job or the means to sustain himself in the UK. He has been given until January 2024 to leave the country, and if he fails to do so, he faces the possibility of deportation.
The original post reads:
“Hello everyone,
A family friend of mine is in urgent need of a job with sponsorship. Last month, he arrived in the UK with his children as dependents, and his wife went to pick them up at the airport and asked to see their children’s passports, which he handed over without any suspicion. She then told him that their marriage was over and wanted nothing to do with him. She took their children and abandoned him at the airport. He just came to the UK for the first time to join his wife, who came last year to study. He helped pay her fees and sold off everything he had to join her.
Today, the Home Office sent him a letter saying that he has until 1st of January to return to Nigeria. He has nothing to go back to and may never see his children again.
I am pleading with anyone who can help him with a job referral so that he can stay and fight for his children. If you know of any job openings or can put him in touch with someone who might be able to help, please reach out to me. I would be incredibly grateful. 🙏🏼😥”
This heart-wrenching situation highlights the plight of individuals who find themselves in vulnerable positions due to family breakdown and underscores the importance of social support and community assistance.
