Tanitoluwa Adewumi, a 12-year-old chess champion from Nigeria, and his family have been granted asylum by the American government.
Adewumi, who became an overnight sensation in 2019 after taking home the title of New York State Chess Champion in his division, was residing in a homeless shelter with his family.
Tanitoluwa, his parents, and his older brother, collectively known as the Adewumis, fled Nigeria in 2017 out of fear for Boko Haram terrorist attacks. They eventually made their way to New York.
After the family had arrived in the nation, they had applied for religious asylum.
According to a Wednesday article in the Washington Post, the US formally granted the family asylum.
When a country offers refuge or safety to those who have been compelled to leave their home nations for their own safety because of war.
“We feel so relieved. Everybody is so happy,” said Tani’s father, Kayode Adewumi.
Tani’s chess career had partially stopped as a result of his pending asylum application because he wasn’t able to travel to international competitions, which prevented him from achieving his ultimate aim of becoming a Grandmaster in the game.
“It feels amazing because it’s been such a long journey. I’m just grateful that we’ve gotten this opportunity,” Tani said.
According to Matthew Ingber, who was a pro bono attorney on the Adewumi family’s asylum case, Tani’s predicament first came to his attention in the summer of 2021.
