The United States government has defended its recent wave of visa revocations affecting Nigerians, saying the move is aimed at upholding national security and protecting U.S. citizens.
A new report revealed that the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has been quietly cancelling visas without prior notice, leaving Nigerian professionals, entrepreneurs, frequent travelers, and families stranded.
The revelation, made by Olufemi Soneye, former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, in an article for The Cable, detailed cases of Nigerians discovering—sometimes at airport boarding gates—that their valid visas had been revoked.
“Each had to abruptly cancel engagements, refund tickets, and explain to partners abroad why they could no longer show up. Some were even briefly detained before being sent home in shame,” Soneye said.
Embassy’s Response
In response, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja confirmed the revocations, describing them as legal and security-driven measures.
Citing Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a spokesperson told BBC News Pidgin that both the U.S. Secretary of State and consular officers have the authority to revoke visas “at any time” if there is evidence or suspicion of ineligibility.
“We use all the information we get to do this on a scale never seen before in order to keep American borders secure and American communities safe,” the Embassy said.
The spokesperson further stressed that the actions are consistent with the U.S. government’s broader strategy of preventing the entry of individuals who overstay visas, engage in criminal activity, provide material support to terrorist organisations, or otherwise violate U.S. laws.
Trump-era Security Policy
The Embassy linked the revocations to Trump administration policies, which emphasized heightened scrutiny, including mandatory social media checks for visa applicants.
“The Trump administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process,” the statement added.
The cancellations, often citing Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 41.122, typically state only that “new information became available after the visa was issued” — without further explanation or any avenue for appeal.
