Nigeria Rejects U.S. Push to Deport Venezuelan Prisoners Into Its Territory

The Federal Government of Nigeria has firmly rejected pressure from the United States, under President Donald Trump, to accept Venezuelan deportees — including prisoners — into Nigeria.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television, stating emphatically that Nigeria, already facing numerous domestic challenges, cannot accommodate deported Venezuelans, some of whom are reportedly inmates.

“It would be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own. We already have 230 million people,” Tuggar said.

He explained that while Nigeria participated in the recent BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the U.S. decision to impose a 10% trade tariff on BRICS member states, including Nigeria, may not be directly linked to that participation. However, he noted that the U.S. is using both diplomatic and economic pressure on African nations to resettle deportees.

The minister clarified that Nigeria will not serve as a dumping ground for unwanted prisoners from other countries and confirmed that the government has opened discussions with the U.S. over new visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian nationals.

Tuggar also addressed the visa ban recently reimposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Nigerian travelers, calling the development “regrettable.”

Nigeria became a partner country in BRICS+ earlier this year. BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, recently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Indonesia, and the UAE, forming a bloc that now represents nearly 40% of global GDP and about half of the world’s population.

Despite growing alignment with the BRICS bloc and friction with Western powers, the Nigerian government maintains it will only act in ways that prioritize national interest and sovereignty.

“We are not a nation that will be pressured into decisions that undermine our security or dignity,” Tuggar affirmed.