NIGERIA REJECTS US PRESSURE TO ACCEPT DEPORTEES – Foreign Minister
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has firmly declared that the country will not yield to US demands to accept deportees, including Venezuelan migrants and third-country prisoners, amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
In an interview with Channels TV, Minister Tuggar quoted the iconic 1990s US rap group Public Enemy to underline Nigeria’s stance:
“Flava Flav has problems of his own. I can’t do nothin’ for you, man.”
Emphasizing Nigeria’s internal priorities, he noted the nation’s large population of over 230 million and stressed the unfairness of the US request to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees. He criticized the US visa restrictions on Nigerian travelers as a coercive tactic rather than reciprocal diplomacy.
“It will be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees,” Tuggar said. “You will be the same person that will castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria.”
The US State Department recently announced a “global reciprocity realignment,” drastically limiting non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas for Nigerians, Cameroonians, and Ethiopians to single-entry, three-month validity. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened additional tariffs against countries supporting the BRICS alliance, which challenges Western economic dominance.
Though Nigeria is not a full BRICS member, it became the ninth partner country in January. Despite this, Minister Tuggar dismissed the idea that visa restrictions were tied to BRICS participation. Instead, he revealed that the US is exerting pressure on African nations to accept deported Venezuelan migrants, many of whom are former prisoners.
“It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own, we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud,” Tuggar concluded.
Rather than capitulating, Nigeria is seeking mutually beneficial arrangements with the US, highlighting its wealth in gas, critical minerals, and rare earth elements vital for American technology sectors. Negotiations are ongoing to resolve bilateral differences diplomatically.
The Foreign Minister’s comments follow reports that the Trump administration pressured West African nations—Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau—to accept migrants expelled by the US whose countries of origin refused or delayed repatriation. Liberia’s Foreign Minister denied involvement, and it remains unclear if any country accepted the request.
President Trump addressed the issue during a summit with West African leaders, expressing hope for progress on visa overstays and third-country agreements.
Meanwhile, the US has deported individuals to countries such as South Sudan and courted others including Benin, Eswatini, Libya, and Rwanda to accept deportees amid a complex geopolitical and immigration dynamic.
