HURIWA asks Nigeria to accept foreign deportees from U.S. if $5bn is paid

Contrary to the official position that the Federal Government had firmly rejected a reported move by the United States (U.S.) to pressure Nigeria and other African nations into accepting deported Venezuelans many of whom are ex-convicts, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has encouraged the Nigerian government to negotiate with President Donald Trump on terms and conditions.

HURIWA also stated that if Rwanda got over £4 billion pounds from the immediate past conservative government in the United kingdom for resettlement of migrants deported from the UK to live briefly in Rwanda, then Nigerian government can negotiate for a $5 billion total package which the U.S. should deploy to set up houses and detention facilities in Sambisa forests before the deportation of those Venezuelans.

“We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strike a deal through a negotiation with the government of President Trump on the issue of warehousing people to be expelled from the USA who are not Nigerians. The Nigerian government should ask for technical and funding payouts so living quarters and detention facilities are developed for the prospective deportees in the vast landed assets of Sambisa in Borno state just as the USA and Nigeria should explore the same kind of contractual agreement that the former government in the UK struck with Rwanda to house those to be deported from the USA,” HURIWA said in a statement made available by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Wednesday.

HURIWA suggested that if Nigeria can show this flexibility and readiness to welcome just a few of these persons to be deported from the USA and this step could make the government of the United State of America to remove the restrictions it imposed on Nigerian Visa applicants recently, it would make more economic sense than for Nigeria to maintain her hard-line posture, refusing to play ball with the administration of President Trump and then Nigerian businesses suffer financial loses due to the excruciating Visa issuing conditionalities on Nigerians by the USA.

HURIWA recalled that the minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, made the position clear during a recent interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, stating that Nigeria would not take in prisoners from another country.

“It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We already have enough problems of our own,” Tuggar said.
“We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud. We already have 230 million people.”

The minister warned that yielding to such demands could set a dangerous precedent, saying:

“I think it would be unfair to insist that Nigeria accepts 300 Venezuelan deportees. That might just be the beginning.”

The minister also responded to the U.S. Embassy’s decision to reduce visa validity for Nigerians to single-entry, three months, saying Nigeria continues to engage with American authorities on the issue.

“We issue Americans five-year multiple-entry visas. So we’re reminding them that it should be mutual,” Tuggar said.

He explained that Nigeria’s new electronic visa system was introduced to improve processing efficiency and reduce delays associated with visa-on-arrival procedures.

“Our visa categories vary depending on the traveller. Many Americans still get long-term visas. It’s not a blanket three-month rule,” he added.

HURIWA, however said nothing should be cast in stone provided the policy could yield economic benefits to Nigeria on the long run just as the Rights group said the country can explore opportunities of attracting investment from the US government to develope moderm maximum security detention facilities in Sambisa forests in Borno state alongside some living quarters to house those who would be expelled from the USA under the negotiated agreement between Nigeria and the USA.