January 14, 2009

[Toronto, Ontario] In 2005, a Nigerian named Isaiah Oahiminre landed in Toronto and filed a refugee application, claiming his life was in danger back home because of his sexual orientation. He is gay. Or at least he was gay. At first, Oahiminre told the Immigration and Refugee Board that gay men in Nigeria are considered “abominations,” and that he had no choice but to flee to Canada after his lover was “lynched by an angry mob.” But when the board rejected his claim, and a series of appeals didn’t pan out, Oahiminre tried a new strategy: he went straight. He “renounced” his homosexual past, began dating a woman from his church, and on July 18 they exchanged wedding vows. His bride—a fellow Nigerian who was granted refugee status just three weeks before the marriage—has since applied to sponsor her new husband to stay in Canada. Neither Oahiminre nor his lawyer could reached for comment. But his wife confirmed that he has not been deported yet.

Read more at Macleans