Unlawfully Detained Nigerian Asylum Seeker Receive £2,500

Mr Jayeola had taken High Court action against Home Office ministers after claiming that he had been wrongly held in immigration detention in late 2015.

Bolaji Femi Jayeola, an asylum seeker from Nigeria is set to receive £2,500 in damages after a judge concluded he had been unlawfully detained by immigration officials for two days.

Deputy High Court Judge Jonathan Swift was told that Mr Jayeola had been released on October 8 2015 – after evidence that he might have been tortured in Nigeria emerged.

But the judge has concluded that Mr Jayeola should have been released on October 6 2015.

The judge said he appreciated that his conclusion might seem to be an “exercise in nit picking”.

He said ministers had agreed to pay Mr Jayeola £2,500.

Judge Swift had examined evidence at a High Court hearing in London in July – and handed down a written ruling on Tuesday.

Judge Swift said: “My conclusion is that…the claimant should have been released from immigration detention on October 6, 2015, and that his detention for two further days was, for that reason, unlawful.

“I appreciate this conclusion may appear to be an exercise in nitpicking since the claimant was in fact released on October 8.”

The Home Office have also agreed to pay Mr Jayeola’s legal bills which have yet to be calculated.