NewStats: 3,265,480 , 8,186,871 topics. Date: Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 07:49 AM oex

Univ. of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, students, Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi, face deportation to Nigeria for working at WalMart for two weeks

Sitting inside a church, University of Regina students Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi start as a prairie wind rattles the front door.

Ordu glances over, eyes wary, before flicking toward the window at the back of the church she now calls home.

Sunshine streams through the glass, but that's the only taste of the outside world the two girls have been able to get since June 19, when they opted to seek sanctuary in the church.

The fear of being found by the Canada Border Services Agency and deported back home to Nigeria hangs over their heads - all because they worked for two weeks at Walmart.

They have spent each day hoping Canadian Federal Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney - the only one who can change their fate - will grant them pardon.

The daily stress of it has, they say, been "hell."

U of R President Vianne Timmons has visited them at the church and the school has ed the federal government, throwing its behind the students' plea to stay in Canada and complete their education.

Amadi and Ordu have also written letters to Kenney, but no one has had a response.

And so, they wait.

"This is a small mistake we made, and now everything is at risk," Ordu says, clasping her shaking hands in her lap.

"It doesn't make any sense. They're looking for us like we've killed someone. We're just students at university ... but it's like we're running away and living in fear every day."

As part of their visas, international students like Ordu - who is studying theatre arts - and Amadi - international studies - are able to work on campus.

Both in Canada on full scholarships paid for by their government, Ordu and Amadi went to Service Canada and got their Social Insurance Numbers when they arrived in 2010, ending up working at the university.

Last year, Amadi found a parttime job at Walmart and Ordu at an agency that does demonstrations at the store.

Both were under the misapprehension their SINs allowed them to work outside U of R. Ordu quit after two weeks, as soon as she found out that wasn't the case.

Amadi discovered her mistake during her second week on the job - and was led away from her till in handcuffs by two CBSA agents.

"They led me through the store, in front of everyone, and all the customers were looking at me like 'What have you done?'" she recalls, looking at the floor.

"I just felt so embarrassed."

Kay Adebogun is a Regina immigration consultant who has taken on their case pro bono.

"Why go to that level of force?" he says.

"Why parade her out of there like she's a criminal?"

Barb Pollock, U of R spokeswoman, says while the school respects the fact laws have to be upheld, it is trying to advocate for a reconsideration of the girls' case.

"We think that the penalty, perhaps, is a bit severe for the crime," she says.

"Albeit that laws have been contravened, in light of what they have done to contravene the law, we would like them to have an opportunity to complete their education with us ... (and) we think it is a harsh penalty to be deported."

Pollock says the university has written to Kenney but is yet to receive an indication when it might receive a decision from the minister.

Both students say they itted their mistake right away, but think the CBSA's decision to deport them - which went to an issibility hearing - is an over-reaction.

"It's a huge deal to finish school, come back (to Nigeria) and help the country," Amadi says.

"Now to think we lose three years of our lives because of a small mistake? If there was a fine, a warning, that would be more reasonable. I just wish they could look at this from a human point of view."

Pollock agrees the case demonstrates how important it is for international students to understand Canadian laws.

"We have to make sure our students really understand what it means to come here and go to school - what the opportunities are and, at the same time, what the limits are," she says.

"The fact something may not have been clear, you can be assured we're making that very clear with our incoming students now."

Adebogun would like to see a reversal in the decision to deport Ordu and Amadi, but he also thinks there are bigger issues at play with how the two were treated.

Of particular concern, he says, is the fact both students were asked by CBSA workers for names of other Nigerian students who were working and even if they knew anybody in a gang.

"They agree they did something wrong, but they should have a second chance," Adebogun says.

CBSA could not provide a comment on Tuesday but is expected to provide information on the case today.

http://naijanet.com/news/source/2012/sep/16/1000.html

@, kindly put this on front page, so other student can learn from their misfortune. Thanks

jellyloveb: @, kindly put this on front page, so other student can learn from their misfortune. Thanks

Noted.

Now how do these connected girls hope to help Nigeria? Imagine their state government giving scholarships to already wealthy people to go and study Theatre arts? Tomorrow they will say PDP governors are working. Greedy girls always showing themselves could not be content with the scholarship now they have run inside the church - typically Nigerian.

wow, if i were to be on full scholarship eh, wouldn't even lift a finger talk less of working at walmart!!!
would rather a volunteering org

must be a very traumatic experience

Short of words.

There's already a thread on this though.

https://www.nairaland.4free.org/1048637/off-campus-student-job-two-naija

Givin scholarship 2 d rich dis is wat u get in return

Givin scholarship 2 d rich dis is wat u get in return**

ogugua88: There's already a thread on this though.

https://www.nairaland.4free.org/1048637/off-campus-student-job-two-naija

Thanks for that.

Jst hope d wil be warned, n nt deported ova dia ignorance.

deport them! Quickly

Igbo.
Always dey rep in spoiling naija name

Ogbiaboy: Givin scholarship 2 d rich dis is wat u get in return

and who told you they are rich. read carefully before sayin anything

The government cannot develop our education sector to internationaly accepted standard they think its better to give scholarships to their cronies

Feel so sorry for these kids.....If people in Regina can rally to the Premier of the province....they might be exempted and allow to finish school....

Deportation for working? All dis oyinbo with stup:I'd laws sef,if say na thief dem go thief na him be say na kill dem for just kill dem.

I'm comin home [b][/b]I'm comin home, tell the world that I'm comin home,let the rain wash away... Omo I no fit laugh

What beauties.
Randy Naija men are waiting to heip them.
Come home sweeeeeteeeeze.
Gov. Rochas waits!

Eko Atlantic: Igbo.
Always dey rep in spoiling naija name

Bro, you MUMU o!

clemmonce: and who told you they are rich. read carefully before sayin anything

i tire ohhh. had to recheck for the info that they were from a rich family.

crowbar:

Bro, you MUMU o!

How him mumu?

Too bad hearing this

dry skull

Eko Atlantic: Igbo.
Always dey rep in spoiling naija name

Can someone plz explain the levity of their that wants to lead to their deportation.

tyson55: Univ. of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, students, Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi, face deportation to Nigeria for working at WalMart for two weeks





http://naijanet.com/news/source/2012/sep/16/1000.html