Flight resumption: Over 15,000 passengers from China, US, UK to arrive Nigeria weekly
Following the resumption of international flights in Lagos and Abuja airports from Saturday, investigations by Sunday PUNCH have revealed that there will be about 15,000 passengers flying into the country weekly. The Federal Government had after shifting the resumption of international flights from August 29 to September 5 noted that only the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos would be opened for operations. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, also said 14 international airlines had been granted approval to operate in the country while eight others were not given approval, for different reasons. Those
US to place Nigeria, 6 others to a new list of countries on America’s visa restriction
United States President, Donald Trump, is set to add Nigeria and six others to a new list of countries on America’s visa restriction, Wall Street Journal reports. According to the report, Nigerians would not be barred from entering the country but would not be issued with certain types of visas. The Trump administration plans to roll out its expanded travel restrictions on Monday, marking the three-year anniversary of the initial travel ban Trump signed on his seventh day in office, sparking controversy at the beginning of his term. Unlike the initial travel ban list of 2017, most of the new
US to review relationship with Nigeria over Sowore
United States (US) Senator Robert Menendez has said America will review its relationship with Nigeria over the continued detention and rearrest of Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore. “We are watching and will be reviewing our relationship with the Nigeria government,” Menendez said at a press conference jointly addressed by Sowore’s wife Opeyemi in the US. Menendez, a Democratic senator representing New Jersey, warned the Nigerian government that “(for) any harms that come to Sowore, there will be consequences.” Operatives of the Department of Security Service (DSS) on Friday re-arrested Sowore barely 24hours after his release. Sowore was released on Thursday
United States of America Lists People Named In Massive Fraud, Money Laundering
US authorities have announced charges against 80 people, most of them Nigerians, in a wide-ranging fraud and money laundering operation that netted millions of dollars from victims of internet con jobs. On Thursday, federal prosecutors unsealed the dozens of indictments after 17 people were arrested and taken into custody in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the United States. Most of the remainder of those indicted were believed to be in Nigeria, the US Justice Department said.US authorities have announced charges against 80 people, most of them Nigerians, in a wide-ranging fraud and money laundering operation that netted millions of dollars
2019 elections: US imposes visa restrictions on indicted Nigerian Politicians
The United States has imposed visa restrictions on some Nigerian for undermining the democratic process in the country during the 2019 general elections. It explained that the affected individuals, who were not identified, operated with impunity at the expense of Nigerians and undermined democratic principles and human rights. Those affected include individuals indicted for electoral violence, rigging and other anti-democratic activities before, during and after the 2019 elections. The spokesman for the US Department of State, Morgan Ortagus, who disclosed this in a statement in Washington on Tuesday, explained that the visa restrictions would affect Nigerians believed to be responsible
US Honours Nigerian Imam Who Risked His Life To Save Over 200 Christians
Muslim cleric Abubakar Abdullahi who risked his own life to save some Christians in Jos has been honoured with US International Religious Freedom Award. The 83-year-old Imam hid over 200 Christians inside from suspected bandits in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, during June 2018 clashes. He hid the Christian his mosque and home. Abdullahi according to the US Department of State website is being honoured after he, “selflessly risked his own life to save members of another religious community, who would have likely been killed without his intervention.” Although Abdullahi could not make it to the main
Spate of kidnappings in Nigeria exaggerated – Osinbajo tells Nigerians in US
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has told Nigerians in the Diaspora that the spate of kidnappings in Nigeria is exaggerated and not entirely new. This is despite recent travel advisories issued by the United States and the United Kingdom asking its citizens not to visit some states in Nigeria due to the rising insecurity occasioned by kidnapping, banditry, militancy, terrorism and other challenges. Speaking at a town hall meeting in New York on Sunday evening, Osinbajo said the social media “tends to be hysterical about practically everything”, the News Agency of Nigeria report The Vice-President spoke in response to several questions and comments on
US Describes As Untrue Report of Ban On Students Visa For Nigerians
The United States, US, embassy has reacted to viral report of the country banning student’s visa for Nigerians Reports emerged over the weekend claiming that Nigerian students have been banned from receiving Student US visa. Reacting to the rumour, the US embassy, in a post on its verified Twitter page on Monday, denied the report. The tweet read: “Alert! Be advised, reports of Student Visa ban for Nigerians is false. “If you have seen such manufactured item on Facebook and Twitter or received it via WhatsApp, please communicate that it is false.”
US Seeks Social Media Details From Visa Applicants In New Regulation
Nearly all applicants for US visas will have to submit their social media details under newly adopted rules. The State Department regulations say people will have to submit social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers. When proposed last year, authorities estimated the proposal would affect 14.7 million people annually. Certain diplomatic and official visa applicants will be exempt from the stringent new measures. However, people travelling to the US to work or to study will have to hand over their information. "We are constantly working to find mechanisms to improve our screening processes to
Revealed: Buhari’s Administration Hires American Lobbying Firm For Image Laundry
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has acquired the services of an image-laundering and lobbying firm with offices in the United Kingdom and the United States to undertake ‘outreach and relationship building with various stakeholders’ PREMIUM TIMES has exclusively reported. The hiring comes about a month after Atiku Abubakar last April allegedly hired the services of lobbying firm Fein & DelValle PLLC, founded by a former Justice Department employee, Bruce Fein, to help push narratives that support his challenge of the result of the presidential election among top US politicians. According to details of Mr Abubakar’s contract obtained from the
