Foreign Affairs Minister, Abike At War Over US Trip

In what could be described as contradictory, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has urged Nigerians who have a valid United States visa to embark on their trip.

This comes one day after the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told Nigerians to postpone their travel to the US until President Donald Trump’s policy on immigration is clear.

In a statement in Abuja by Abdurrahman Balogun, Special Assistant on Media to Dabiri-Erewa, the SSA said that the warning became imperative due to series of reports received by her office. 

She said that her office received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back immediately on the next available flight to the country and their visas cancelled.

However, Onyeama while speaking to journalist in Abuja on Tuesday advised Nigerians not to listen to reports asking them to suspend or reschedule their trip to the United States.

He stressed that it is only the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that are credible sources of information about Nigeria’s foreign relations.

The minister said he had spoken to the US ambassador to Nigeria who dismissed reports that Nigerians with valid US visa were turned back and refused entry to the country.

“This is not the case” Onyeama said, adding that Nigeria is not among the countries currently under US travel ban, pointing out that both countries enjoyed cordial bilateral relations.