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Nigerian man who died while being deported was detained for 2 weeks prior: documents

Bolanle Alo, 49, sought asylum from Nigeria and came to Canada 12 years ago, according to his family's lawyer. Supplied

Immigration and Refugee Board documents show a Nigerian man who died while he was being deported from Canada was detained by officials in the two weeks leading up to his death.

Forty-nine-year-old Bolanle Alo died following an altercation with two Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers last week on a flight from Calgary to Amsterdam.

His family’s lawyer, Elias Munshya, says Alo’s wife wants to know why her husband died.

The refugee board documents said Alo, whose first name is listed as Bolante, came to Canada in 2005 and made a refugee claim on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

But he was denied at every stage and ordered removed from Canada in February.

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The documents said Alo was held in custody because he had made concerning statements about how he would disrupt any removal from Canada.

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Calgary police have said they responded to a plane that had returned to the gate after the altercation.

The CBSA and police said the man was in medical distress and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said an autopsy was completed last week, but they are still trying to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

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