'Miracle babies' pastor to be extradited

A pastor who claimed he could give infertile couples "miracle babies" is to be extradited to Kenya where he stands accused of child abduction, the Home Office confirmed today.

Gilbert Deya faces trial in his home country where he is alleged to have stolen five children from a hospital between 1999 and 2004.

The self-proclaimed bishop of a church in Peckham, south London, has fought removal from Britain since 2007, claiming he faces torture and inhuman and degrading treatment if sent back.

However, the Home Office said Theresa May has formally sanctioned his extradition after he exhausted all avenues of appeal in the UK.

A spokesman for the department said: "On Tuesday 13 September the Secretary of State decided that Mr Deya's extradition should proceed.

"He has exhausted all avenues of appeal against extradition under the Extradition Act."

A decision to deport Deya was rubber-stamped by Jacqui Smith when she was home secretary in December 2007.

The evangelist then failed in a High Court appeal against before being refused permission to take his case to the House of Lords.

His lawyers had argued that his human rights would be breached if he returned and claimed he is the victim of a political vendetta in Kenya.

Deya runs registered charity Gilbert Deya Ministries, which claims a UK membership of 36,000.

Police in Nairobi say their investigation revolves around the disappearance of babies from Nairobi's Pumwani Maternity Hospital and involves suspects in Britain, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya.

PA