Canadian court found that Nigerian Pastor Lucky Olorunfemi fabricated documents and offered bribes to support false persecution claims for asylum.
A Canadian federal court has dismissed an asylum appeal by Nigerian Pastor Lucky Bidemi Olorunfemi after finding that his claim of religious persecution was built on fraudulent and doctored documents. The ruling has cleared the way for his deportation to Nigeria.
Justice McHaffie of the Federal Court in Toronto delivered the decision on Thursday October 16, 2025, affirming an earlier finding by the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) that Olorunfemi’s submissions showed clear evidence of forgery, bribery, and fabrication.
Olorunfemi, who said he was a Pastor in Akure, Ondo State, applied for refugee status in 2023, alleging that his advocacy for LGBTQ tolerance had provoked attacks from “Muslim Jihadists.” He claimed his church was burned in March 2022 and that he was forced into hiding before fleeing to Canada.
To support his case, the 36-year-old submitted four documents, including a newspaper report, a police invitation letter, his wife’s medical report, and a wanted poster allegedly issued by the “Odoua Peoples Congress.” But investigators and the court found all four materials to be questionable.
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The RPD described the newspaper clipping as poorly written and “riddled with spelling and grammatical errors,” mirroring Olorunfemi’s own testimony word-for-word — an indication, the court said, that the story was likely fabricated at his direction.
Justice McHaffie also noted inconsistencies in the other documents. The supposed wanted poster contained multiple spelling mistakes, such as “youruba” for Yoruba, and even bore a different name beneath Olorunfemi’s photograph. None of the documents included traceable contact details, and the medical report listed only a Gmail address.
The court further observed contradictions in Olorunfemi’s testimony, including his claim of limited English proficiency despite responding “in flawless spoken English” during proceedings.
“The application for judicial review is dismissed,” Justice McHaffie ruled, adding that the only verifiable fact in Olorunfemi’s case was his Nigerian citizenship, confirmed by his passport.
The judgment underscores Canada’s increasingly strict scrutiny of asylum claims, particularly those supported by documents lacking verifiable origins.
Olorunfemi, represented by lawyer Abdul-Rahman Kadiri, now faces deportation after the court found no credible evidence to support his claim of persecution in Nigeria.