Former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District, has strongly rejected attempts by the United States to send Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, describing the move as unacceptable under any circumstances.
This reaction follows a revelation by Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who disclosed on Thursday that the US has been pressuring Nigeria and other African countries to accept Venezuelan deportees. During his appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today, Tuggar indicated that Nigeria might not comply with this request.
Taking to his official X handle, Sani made his position clear: "If the US wants to send Nigerian prisoners in US Jails back to Nigeria, that is ok and should be accepted. We don't want Venezuelan prisoners in our country and there should be no space for them now or in the future."
The former lawmaker's statement underscores growing concerns about the implications of accepting foreign nationals with criminal records who have no ties to Nigeria. His comments reflect a sentiment that while Nigeria should be responsible for its citizens abroad, including those in foreign prisons, it has no obligation to accommodate citizens of other nations being deported from the United States.
This development comes amid increasing deportation activities under various US administrations, with concerns that African nations are being pressured to accept deportees from countries they have no diplomatic agreements with regarding prisoner transfers.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue an official comprehensive response to this pressure, though the Foreign Affairs Minister's comments suggest resistance to the idea. Analysts note that accepting such deportees could create significant security, social, and economic challenges for Nigeria, which is already dealing with internal security issues.
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