A little over six months after he and his wife were targeted by a
firebomb-wielding Israeli that scorched the daycare center they ran in south Tel
Aviv, a Nigerian man was deported back home on an early morning flight on
Wednesday.
Austin Akachukneu’s wife, Blessing, said that over the past
three weeks he had gone back and forth for meetings with Interior Ministry
officials to renew his work visa, which had expired a few months ago. She said
he was also planning to undergo eye surgery next week to repair an eye that was
gouged out in Nigeria during an attack in his village shortly before he came to
Israel with Blessing three years ago.
Many Nigerians avoid deportation by
hiding from government officials when they get notice that their visa has
expired. Austin was arrested when he came forward to try to renew his visa
through the standard channels.
On Wednesday morning he left the country
with barely a chance to say goodbye to his wife or their two children, Blessing
said.
When asked on Wednesday if she was afraid that she or her kids
would be deported soon, Blessing, whose visa has expired, choked back tears and
said: “They can do whatever they like, I’m not afraid of them
anymore.”
It was unclear what would happen to the children in the daycare
center without Austin there to help run it, and if Blessing gets
deported.
The chief suspect in the string of firebombings that night late
last April, Shapira neighborhood resident Haim Mula, remains free on bail.