A migrant who raped a 19-year-old woman in a Wrexham woodland had already been jailed for a sexually motivated attack—but dodged deportation due to his “right to family life.”
Gift Oladele’s Troubling Past
Gift Oladele, 24, a Nigerian national born in Italy, was convicted in December 2022 for falsely imprisoning a woman in Manchester who feared rape. He received a two-year sentence but successfully appealed a Home Office deportation order, allowing him to stay in the UK.
Judge Conrad KC blasted Oladele’s “inappropriate attitudes towards women with a sense of entitlement” and called him “clever, devious and manipulative.”
Home Office Fails to Deport—A Tragic Result
Despite the Home Office’s January 2023 order to deport Oladele, tribunals ruled his removal would breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting private and family life. Oladele argued he had UK ties, including a long-term partner and family life. In September 2023, Oladele violently raped a 19-year-old walking home after a night out. After the attack, he chillingly told her, “This will teach you a lesson not to trust strangers.”
Tribunal’s Controversial Ruling
In a December 2023 hearing, Judge James A Simpson described Oladele as socially and culturally integrated, having grown up and studied in the UK. Despite the seriousness of his crimes, the judge ruled that deportation would breach Oladele’s human rights, tipping the balance in his favour.
“The offence was very serious, and there is strong public interest in deporting foreign criminals,” said Judge Simpson. “But his ties to the UK and rehabilitation efforts are just compelling enough to prevent deportation.”
Oladele’s partner, who holds indefinite leave to remain, has vowed not to move to Nigeria if he’s deported. His mother stated he has no connections to Nigeria, where he grew up exclusively in the UK.
Home Office Response and Future Reforms
A Home Office spokesperson condemned the attack as “absolutely horrific” and vowed that foreign criminals face removal at the earliest opportunity. They added, “The Home Secretary has announced sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration, making the UK less attractive to criminals and easier to remove them.” Oladele now faces sentencing and remains in custody as the public reels from this devastating failure to deport a dangerous offender.
