PBBB was in the UK for more than one year detained. He spent around 6 months in prison and six months in detention centres in the UK, in Brook and Tinsgley House detention centres at Gatwick. PBBB was arrested when he was at Heathrow on his way to take a plane to be reunited with his family in Canada. His wife and his two children (one of them PBBB has not yet know) have been granted leave to remain in Canada until in the next 2/3 years their case will be review again.
PBBB had been shot on his legs several times. His business partner killed and his uncle shot and killed too. He was suffering terrible problems for one of this shots and one of his legs was painful and start having terrible physical problems because of this. PBBB stated that at no time, he was seen by a specialized the time he was detained. After losing his case, he had enough. He was saying that it was better for him to come back to Nigeria to a country where he could be shot rather than staying in a detention centre. He felt that G4S were treating him very badly and he kept saying that G4S and detention centres in the UK were breaching human rights in every corner of the detention centres he had been (see article in the Independent on the 04/02/2010). He signed the voluntary return papers and after long waiting, he got his removal flight reference for the 03/02/2010. Even when he was a voluntary return passenger, he was given removal directions with a Frontex Charter Flight that was going to deport back individuals who unlike PBBB did not want to be taken back to Nigeria. A Frontex Charter Flight that went from London, to Dublin and then apparently to Spain too.
This is the story of PBBB. He has kept in touch with friends in the UK and he agreed to write his part of the story of being in a Frontex Charter Flight.
A true story of a charter flight by PBBB
PEOPLE WERE DRAG LIKE A DEAD PERSON.
I had the shock of my life when we started our journey from Tinsely House to Airport. We were in the bus from 11am to 6pm without coming out from the bus. When we were in the bus, we could not move to the right or stand for that 7 hours because every detainees was escort with two security men. All the sit was too tide but those securities keep on having brake every 30 mins by exchanging themselves with other free securities, why we detainees were sitting like fish in the box. My legs were big and heavy like never before. Every hour was a struggle hour for us, as hour went when by. I was getting weak and weaker when my could not circulate any more. When happen to us on charter flight that we weren’t prepared for. Everywhere I looked, there was punishment without crime.
There were many sad women and many of children in their baby carriages. Children were crying bitterly because of how there are parents were treated. Many women with newborn baby, and many under ages were on this charter flight without their parents, sadness on their faces. We took off from other airport but not Gatwick airport. We landed in Dublin succefully. There, many joined our charter flight. The detainees in Dublin were brought into Airport with the prison vans and also with handcuffs on there hands. Many have been beating seriously before brought into the plane. Even in uk, one of under age was beating bitterly when the boy shouted his massage across to then by saying; I left Nigeria at age of 3yrs old and I did not have any relative in Nigeria anymore. Next security to him said; there’s no need to shout so calm down. Suddenly, the shout went up from the crowd when the beating was too much. I heard a shout; it was a loud crying, after the beating medical staff attended to the boy.
We took off from Dublin to Spain, there in Spain was the most worst part of it, where both female and male were round up with handcuffs on both legs and hands. The two securities beside me realize that my both legs were piping hot. The security man on my left hand asked me if I have problem with my legs and I told them that I had dead veins on both legs. Immediately, the security called the attention of medical staff. The medical staff said; actually is not suppose to be on this charter flight back to his country. The security man asked again that what could we do now. Medical staff reply; that I should be allowed to being working around or find a place for me to level my legs. Up till date, I could barely carry my legs. This has caused suffering and upset for me. Every time I remember how we detainees were treated on that charter flight, a haunting emptiness descends over my heart. My medical report was not giving to me, even when I asked them time without numbers before days to our charter flight. All hospitals that I had attended wanted to see my medical records, which I did not have. Right now I live with pains.We were frightened on the plane, I was frightened by large of number of people whom does not willing to go back to their counties. My experienced on that flight gave me panic attacks when some securities started beating whoever tries to un-struck their plans. Even, from the airport many people were abused and also at Spain many detainees were insulted, roughly words were spoke on detainees by there polices and also beating. When I was coming from toilet I saw many detainees, I mean those detainees that joined us in Spain with handcuffs. Tried to ask those police the reason why all these detainees were like this, those polices were trying to beating me when UK police stopped them because of my condition. There are many uncontrolled crying among the children because of the beating and shouting on the plane. All these unexpected attitude reminds me my last torture experienced. From UK many were shouting that they have court pending and others were saying they have wives and children here in UK. While many were saying what about my properties. To my surprised we did not land at any of normal Nigerian airport, the plane landed on one open field called NACO AIRPORT (Cargo Airport) and before we came out of the plane all our luggage’s has been putting on this open field without any security, while many people’s luggage has been missing.
