A Nigerian man, Sam Okwuoha, who is facing allegations of obstructing his deportation in Ireland, has told a Dublin court that authorities have mistaken him for one of his nine identical brothers.
Okwuoha appeared before the Dublin District Court on Friday following an investigation by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, after an earlier appearance earlier in the week.
Prosecutors accused him of obstructing a deportation process carried out by a police detective, Graham Dillon, at Dublin Airport on March 6. The charge was filed under the Immigration Act 1999, which requires individuals facing deportation to cooperate with authorities and avoid actions that could endanger themselves or others during removal.
According to reports, the defence informed the court that Okwuoha claimed to be one of a set of decuplets and alleged that he swapped identities with one of his brothers before travelling to Ireland.
When the allegation was read in court, Okwuoha, who appeared through a video link from custody, denied the claim, telling the court that he was not the person authorities were looking for.
Bail was earlier denied when he first appeared in court on Tuesday, and the case later came up again before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court.
During proceedings, the judge noted that the matter would be handled at the district court level and that, if found guilty, the accused could face a maximum sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of up to €2,500.
Defence counsel requested an adjournment to allow time for the police to provide evidence related to the allegations. The judge granted the request and ordered that Okwuoha remain in custody until his next court appearance in two weeks, when he is expected to seek bail again.
Detective Dillon told the court that immigration officers had attempted to deport the accused but were unable to complete the process because of his actions during the operation. He added that the case was unusual, noting that such a charge had not previously been prosecuted in Ireland.
The officer also told the court that authorities were “100 per cent confident” about the suspect’s identity, adding that it had been verified through official channels. He further alleged that Okwuoha had previously failed to attend court hearings and had used multiple names, birth dates and identities.
