Six Nigerian children fearful of being deported from Ireland are in hiding in the midlands, it emerged today.
The children - one as young as eight-years-old - are believed to be on the run after the Garda National Immigration Bureau searched a school over 10-days ago on foot of a deportation order.
Some of the children aged between eight and 18 come from two different families, who were living in the Athlone area. The families were broken up and the children went into hiding after their mothers' were flown to Lagos last week as part of a group of 35-people deported from the country.
Noel Casey, who is deputy principle at Our Lady's Bower Secondary School in Athlone, where one of the children was attending, said the gardaí came to the school on March 14 last looking for the student.
Mr Casey said that when the deportation officers arrived at the school, they were holding the Nigerian student's mother. He claimed that one of the men, who he presumed was a non-uniform officer, shouted in a "very loud aggressive way."
The school said they were very surprised that the gardaí came into the school unannounced to look for a student on March 14 last.
Mr Casey told RTE radio the school had written several letters of complaint to the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Justice Minister and local TDs over the incident.
He confirmed: "There is something like six children hiding in Athlone. I think there were nine children under 18 who were deported. A lot of young people were actually impacted upon because of that particular action the other week.
"We really worry about those kids, we don't know where they are."
The two mothers, Elizabeth Odumsi and Iyabo Nwanze, who were both deported last week, each brought one of their children with them to Nigeria. However, the two women between them left four children behind in Athlone.
Ms Nwanze's son Emmanuel (eight), and Ms Odumsi's children Mabajoye (18), Oluwaseun (14), and Olwasegun (11), are now in hiding in the midlands to avoid deportation.
A spokesman for the Justice Department stated: "We couldn't give any information out on individual cases."
The deputy principle said he hoped that the Justice Minister Michael McDowell would have a another change of heart and allow them back to Ireland .
Mr McDowell yesterday gave permission for Olukunle Elukanlo, who was also deported on the same flight, be brought back to sit his Leaving Certificate.
Denis Rowan from Communities Against Injustice, which is campaigning on behalf of deportees and their families, said: "They are in hiding, it is my understanding they are being cared for by the Nigerian community but where or under what circumstances, I am not in a position to say, I just don't know."
Mr Casey explained that the teenager, who gardai had searched the school for, had come to him earlier that Monday, March 14, to say the gardai were at her house.
"She wanted to know what she should do," Mr Casey said.
The deputy principle said he rang the home of another Nigerian student across the road from the family in question, who confirmed that gardai were removing people from the family home.
"Everyone in the area was very much afraid, and indeed the other Nigerian family who were looking out the window at the incident were very much afraid as well," he added.
Mr Casey said he told her to go home as he had been concerned that
gardai might attempt to take her from the school.
"She headed off, I presumed she went home, it transpired obviously that she didn't go home. I think she went off and collected her brother, and they headed off to wherever they are at this point in time," he said.