Man claims he’s one of nine identical brothers in deportation case
Tom Tuite
A Nigerian national who insists gardaí mixed him up with one of his nine identical brothers is the first person in the State to be prosecuted for obstructing deportation.
Alleged "decuplet", Sam Okwuoha, 28, was originally brought before Dublin District Court on Tuesday, following a Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) investigation.
He claims that it stems from a case of mistaken identity, which has led to him being charged with a single offence contrary to section 8 (1) (a), (2) and 9 of the Immigration Act 1999.
According to court documents he is accused that on March 6 at Dublin Airport, "being a person in respect of whom a deportation order was signed on 06.01.2026 under section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 by the Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, did obstruct or hinder a person authorised by the said Minister namely Detective Garda Graham Dillon to deport you from the State pursuant to the order while the said person was engaged in such deportation."
The accused, who had previously lived in Dublin, replied, "I am not the person" when the charge was put to him.
Bail was denied on Tuesday, and his case continued before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
The accused, who appeared via video link, spoke several times during the procedural hearing, at first repeating his contention that "I am not the person named on the charge."
After confirming the legal firm he wished to represent him, the judge noted that the allegation was a "summary only" offence, dealt with at the District Court level, and punishable by a maximum 12-month sentence and a fine of up to €2,500.
"It is the first time we have ever used it," GNIB Detective Garda Dillon advised the court.
The defence barrister asked for an adjournment to allow gardaí to provide disclosure, and the judge remanded Okwuoha in continuing custody to appear again in two weeks to formally enter a plea.
He noted from the detective garda that it was alleged that officers attempted to remove the accused from the State, "and the removal had to be aborted due to his behaviour".
Mitchell stressed that the accused still retained the presumption of innocence and directed that disclosure should be furnished within a week.
The defence barrister assured Okwuoha that a legal consultation would be arranged as soon as possible, and he thanked his counsel.
The judge asked the GNIB detective if it was a new kind of charge or had ever been prosecuted before: the officer replied, "It has not been prosecuted before. I suppose the level of resistance is unusual".
"We will wait and see", returned Mitchell, adding that the man could enter a not guilty plea.
At his first appearance, on March 10th, the officer said he had a "lengthy list" of bail objections, adding that "we attempted to deport this man and he obstructed the deportation".
Another barrister who represented the accused at Tuesday's bail hearing had said the accused maintained he was not the person named in the charge. The detective countered, "We are 100 per cent confident," adding that it had been confirmed by legitimate authorities.
Okwuoha did not require an interpreter and spoke only during the bail hearing to instruct his barrister, who informed the court that his client maintained to be "one of decuplets", a rare occurrence in which 10 children are born from the same pregnancy.
Counsel had informed the court that Okwuoha had identical brothers and that he "swapped places with his brother and came to Ireland".
The detective believed Okwuoha would not appear in court if granted bail, and that he had a bench warrant history for failing to attend proceedings in the State and for "giving different names, using different dates of birth and identities".
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