A Nigerian businessman, Emeka Offor, anonymously called ŒD1¹ in UK immigration Court documents is making history with a battle royale he has launched against the UK which deported him last March when he sought to visit the country. Offor had been under close scrutiny since December 2006 when he was caught with £700,000 stashed in his designer luggage.

Emeka Offor, claims UK authorities went out of bounds when they said his exclusion was ³conducive to the public good² because of his involvement in ³serious, organized criminality.²

Further, authorities seized the British Pounds, a UK travel visa and high-level clearance he had enjoyed from 2006 under the Obasanjo regime. British media is calling him ³D1² for legal reasons.

Offor ­ aka ³Sir Emeka Offor² -- is linked to a Houston, Texas-based oil company EHRC Energy, which was raided by the FBI in 2006. Offor reportedly helped resolve a long running border dispute between Nigeria and Sao Tome through ³gifts² to key political figures, and create an offshore development zone where international oil companies could bid for the rights to drill.

The current UK case tests the use of US-style bans on foreign nationals allegedly involved in corruption and other organised crime. A similar visa ban was imposed on Nigeria¹s former Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa and UK sources told Saharareporters that Nigerian officials linked with James Ibori¹s criminality and perversion of justice would remain targets of exclusion orders.

The idea echoes similar efforts in the US, making it harder for alleged drugs dealers and corrupt foreign officials and businessmen to launder their money through British financial institutions and go shopping in London.

The case to restore Offor's suspended travel rights is in the UK immigration appeals court.