Judge refuses to stop deportation of man convicted of crimes in Thunder Bay

A Federal Court of Canada judge has refused a bid by a convicted drug dealer who was trying to prevent his deportation to Nigeria. (File)

A Nigerian-born man who has been in Canada since he was 12 years old has lost his bid to stop his deportation based on the fact that he was convicted of criminal offences in Thunder Bay.

Part of his argument was that he couldn’t get proper treatment for his depression in Nigeria – depression doctors said was caused by the fact that he was being deported.

David Umazi Solomon-Umazi was found guilty in May 2024 of drug trafficking and received an 18-month conditional sentence.

In Canada since 2015

“A departure order was then issued against Mr. Solomon-Umazi for inadmissibility to Canada pursuant to … the IRPA (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act), based on his criminality,” said the ruling by a Federal Court judge.

Solomon-Umazi has lived in Canada since 2015, moving here with his father, who had a study permit.

“Mr. Solomon-Umazi was around 12 years old at the time of his arrival to Canada with his entire immediate family, and has never returned to Nigeria since,” the decision said.

“At no time since his arrival in Canada did Mr. Solomon-Umazi ever make a claim for refugee protection.”

However, after the deportation order was issued in 2024, he filed an appeal, arguing that he feared “persecution in Nigeria based on his ethnic and religious background, namely, for being an Igbo-Christian man with a Western upbringing.”

That appeal was rejected in December 2025 and he was issued departure orders Feb. 11 of this year by the Canadian Border Services Agency. His departure date was March 9.

Claimed he would be persecuted

He filed another appeal, arguing that his evidence showing that he faced persecution in Nigeria was not properly considered.

That argument was also rejected.

“Contrary to Mr. Solomon-Umazi’s claims, I do not find that the officer misapprehended his evidence and sworn testimony,” the federal court judge wrote.

“On the contrary, the officer considered his particular profile as an Igbo-Christian young man, including his Western upbringing, but found that these identities in themselves did not establish risk and that Mr. Solomon-Umazi failed to demonstrate that individuals matching this profile face a serious possibility of harm in Nigeria.”

The court also rejected his attempt to stay in Canada based on the argument that he would suffer “irreparable” harm if he was sent back to Nigeria.

He argued that he suffers from “serious anxiety and depression,” and has concerns about the availability and affordability of adequate health care in Nigeria.

Depressed about deportation

However, a letter from a nurse practitioner dated Feb. 20, 2026, said that Solomon-Umazi “reports long-standing anxiety and psychological distress related to ongoing immigration uncertainty, worsening over the past several months following denial of an immigration application.”

And a letter from a psychiatrist said he has no history of psychiatric problems and that “his symptoms of anxiety and depression result from the issuance of the removal order.”

“The medical evidence thus establishes a clear correlation between Mr. Solomon-Umazi’s recent mental health issues and his imminent removal from Canada,” the court decision said.

But you can’t prevent your removal from Canada because you are depressed about being removed from Canada, the court ruled.

“While I have sympathy for the difficulties faced by Mr. Solomon-Umazi, this is not a situation where his existing mental health condition is deteriorating due to his imminent removal,” the judge wrote.

“Rather, it is a case where his mental health issues suddenly appeared because of his anticipated removal.”

While he claims he can’t get treatment in Nigeria, he hasn’t presented any evidence to prove it.

“There is also no evidence of any efforts, unsuccessful or otherwise, made by Mr. Solomon-Umazi to make inquiries to secure mental health services for him in Nigeria,” the judge said.

Read the full decision here.