Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has revealed that the United States government is exerting pressure on Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees including individuals recently released from American prisons.
Tuggar made the disclosure during an appearance on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, on Thursday.
According to him, the administration of President Bola Tinubu would not compromise Nigeria’s peace and security by agreeing to such a request, especially considering the country’s existing domestic challenges.
“You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison,” Tuggar stated. “It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own.”
He continued, “We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud. We already have 230 million people. You will be the same people that would castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelans from US prisons to be brought in.”
Tuggar described the request as unreasonable and added that yielding to such a move could set a concerning precedent.
“The issue of accepting Venezuelan deportees, honestly, I don’t think is something that Nigeria is in a position to work with,” he said. “And I think it would be unfair to insist that Nigeria accepts 300 Venezuelan deportees. Maybe that might just even be the beginning.”
The minister also addressed concerns over the 10 percent tariff imposed on Nigerian goods by the U.S. government during Donald Trump’s presidency, clarifying that the levy was not linked to Nigeria’s recent participation in the BRICS summit in Brazil.
“The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in BRICS,” he said.
Tuggar further revealed that Nigeria has initiated dialogue with the United States regarding new visa restrictions placed on its citizens. He also expressed disappointment over the fresh travel bans imposed on Nigerian nationals by the United Arab Emirates.
