Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has refuted the statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, that Nigerians travelling to the United States were being deported.
Dabiri-Erewa had in a message on Monday said Nigerians with valid US visas were being denied entry and sent back home.
“Such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled,” she said, adding that “no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration
She thus advised Nigerians without any compelling or essential reasons to visit the US to consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on American President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Onyeama urged Nigerians to ignore the travel warning.
He told journalists that the US Ambassador to Nigeria and other top officials had denied reports that Nigerians would be affected by the travel ban.
“This is not the case. No Nigerian with valid US visa were turned back,” Onyeama said.
He added that Nigeria is not among the countries currently under US travel ban, noting that both countries enjoyed cordial bilateral relations.
The minister stressed that it is only the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that are credible sources of information about Nigeria’s foreign relations.
