The United States has commenced deportation proceedings for Nigerian nationals, with 85 individuals expected to arrive in Lagos and an additional 116 still in custody. US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, disclosed the details during a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, at the Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja.
Mills clarified that the first group of deportees would include individuals serving prison sentences in the US. He stressed that Lagos would be the sole point of arrival, ruling out alternatives such as Port Harcourt or Abuja.
“The first group will be convicted prisoners those who committed crimes and are in US prisons. Some of them are those who have clearly violated US immigration laws. They appealed but were denied, yet they are still in the US,” Mills explained.
In a statement issued through her media aide, Magnus Eze, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concerns about the deportation process. She highlighted that “with about 201 Nigerians currently detained in US immigration centres and 85 cleared for deportation,” the Nigerian government is advocating for adherence to internationally prescribed guidelines.
The Minister also reiterated the government’s position on her official X (formerly Twitter) handle, in a post titled “US Deportations Begin”. She emphasized the emotional and financial toll deportations impose on Nigerians and their families and called for humane and lawful procedures throughout the repatriation process.
