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Delta Ayonmike to be
reunited with her father

by Jenni Horn

Sarah Ayonmike has been given the best birthday present she
could hope for - the news she can finally be a proper family with
her husband and daughter.

The 32-year-old mum from Chatham has been battling to bring her
husband home since he was deported five years ago when Sarah was
four months pregnant.

Itse has been stranded thousands of miles away in Nigeria,
missing daughter Delta's first words, first steps and first day at
school.

Now the family has been told the life-changing news they will
finally be reunited for good.

Itse fled Nigeria in 1994 when communal violence left him
fearing for his life.

His father was a member of parliament, which meant Itse and the
rest of his family were under constant threat.

After his aunt's assassination, Itse decided to come to the UK,
where his mother was already living, to seek political asylum.

But he was refused a visa and spent the next 10 years trying to
fight to stay in this country.

While he waited for appeal after appeal to be decided, Itse
found work and met Sarah.

But in 2005, as he and Sarah were excitedly looking forward to
the birth of their daughter, Itse was sent back to his home
country.

Itse, 36, has only met his daughter a handful of times, when
Sarah has been able to save enough money to travel to Nigeria.

The first time Itse held his little girl she was nine months
old.

The second time Delta met her dad was in 2007 when Sarah and
Itse married in Nigeria.

Itse was finally granted his wish to the return to the UK when
an appeal court in London ruled he could be given a permanent
settlement visa.

Sarah, 32, of Maidstone Road, said: "It was my birthday the day
we were in court so it was the ultimate birthday present. I was
over the moon."

Itse is hoping to fly home the first week in December and the
family is looking forward to spending Christmas together.

Sarah said: "It is quite a long way off for a five year old so
we haven't started counting down the days yet but Delta knows her
daddy will be home for Christmas so she is very excited.

"She is looking forward to all the fun stuff of having her daddy
around , although she is a bit dubious about being told off by two
people!"