Family saved from being deported

Mrs Adefowoju is being held at Yarl's Wood detention centre

A Nigerian woman and her four children have been given a second temporary reprieve from deportation.

Comfort Adefowoju and her children settled in east Belfast in 2006 but have been in a detention centre in England for the past two months.

They were due to be deported on Thursday but that has been postponed following the intervention of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

The family can now lodge a legal appeal.

Comfort said she was very grateful for the help she had received.

"I owe the whole of Belfast a big gratitude," she said.

Fionola Meredith, who has been campaigning for Comfort's return to Belfast, said, "We understand that our politicians have now done everything they can for Comfort.

"The temporary suspension of the deportation order means that Comfort can present new evidence to the Home Office about the terrifying prospect that a forced return to Nigeria holds for her".

Comfort and her young family fled Nigeria in 2006 in fear of their lives following threats and intimidation from local paramilitaries.

In November, they were taken to Yarl's Wood detention centre by immigration officials.

It emerged that Alliance councillor Anna Lo led a campaign to try to halt the deportation.