US deportation: Nigerian immigrants welcome to return: foreign minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugar, has explained the country’s position on several foreign affairs issues concerning the deportation of Nigerians by the United States, sexual extortion cases by Nigerians, and the Binance scandal.

Speaking in an exclusive internal interview with the BBC, Ogah Tagah said that while some of the policies are by no means new, Nigeria does not count on many Nigerians in the long term.

On the issue of deportation of Nigerians by the United States, the Foreign Minister said the deportation process had begun even before the Trump administration took office. So there are no new cans like they are expecting.

At least 3,000 Nigerians do not have legal documentation to stay in the United States and are at risk of deportation, according to a document obtained by Fox News from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

A FOX News report on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, said the Nigerian immigrant is in compliance with an ICE non-detention document that includes a final deportation order for November 2024 or later.

According to the report, Nigeria has the second highest number of nationals scheduled for deportation to Africa, followed by Somalia, Ghana and Senegal.

In the run-up to the 2024 election campaign, President Donald Trump has promised to deport 1 million pipo without legal permission so they can live for the United States.

In February, Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu highlighted Nigeria’s concerns over President Donald Trump’s decision to meet with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., and deport many Nigerians to Contri in a social media post.

“As of now, approximately 201 Nigerians are being held in U.S. immigration detention centers and approximately 85 have been granted deportation. This number is expected to increase rapidly,” Mrs. Ojukwu Bin Toku said.

“We welcome the return of Nigerians, but legally it is prohibited. There is no need for the Wetin di Tinubu government to make provisions for such returnees,” Tusuf Tugar said.

Tager said he did not see the repatriation of his nationals as a challenge or problem as Nigeria has many opportunities.

“All we insist on is returning them with dignity instead of handcuffing them and abusing them,” Etoku said.

Concerns about the Binance incident still persist, but Oga Tugar has stated that there are major problems between Binance and ODA crypto companies, as well as exchanges, and that Binance will not initiate macroeconomic reforms if the activities of Binance and ODA crypto companies are undermined.

Nigeria’s Bin has filed a lawsuit against Binance seeking $79.5 billion, along with $2 billion in additional taxes, for economic losses caused by its cryptocurrency exchange business, some court documents show.

Authorities blame Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, for Nigeria’s currency crisis, and plan to detain two Dia executives in 2024 after the cryptocurrency website emerged as a trading platform for the local naira currency.

Binance said it is working with the Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria (FIRS) to resolve potential historical tax debts.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service claims that Binance is liable to pay corporate tax in Nigeria because it has a “significant economic presence” in the country.

Democrats are seeking a court declaration requiring Binance to pay income taxes in 2022 and 2023, plus a 10% annual penalty on unpaid amounts. FIRS is also demanding 26.75% interest on the outstanding taxes based on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s lending rate.

Binance already faces four tax evasion charges in Nigeria following a government crackdown on the industry. Di’s charges include failure to pay value added tax, corporate income tax, failure to file tax returns, and collusion in assisting customers in tax evasion through the DIA platform.

Binance Contest Charges and Announcement in March 2024 to suspend all trades and transactions in Naira. Dee has also been separately indicted on money laundering charges by the anti-corruption agency, but we deny and accuse the Nigerian authorities of corruption.

Mr. Oga Tugar explained that while the government is trying to stabilize the economy, crypto players provide a means for money launderers and illicit funds to stay out of the economy, we are influencing reforms, we are moving ahead with macroeconomic reforms, we are influencing the naira.

“The difference between being able to buy insulin for diabetes or even drugs to treat malaria is a reality for us, as our currency continues to depreciate against the dollar. Why does Nigeria stand by our position?”

Ogah Tugah came and said Nigeria will have no problem with you as long as Pipo and investors come with open arms and clean hearts and try to do Ogbonge legitimate business.

On the issue of sextortion, Ogah Tagah said Nigeria would get the laws that the National Assembly would make and they would enforce those laws.

They also say they have special training for those trying to enforce the law, plus they also say they are looking at ways to improve the law, so it can never be static.

Recall that in September 2024, two Nigerian brothers who targeted 17-year-olds were sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in prison for sextortion fraud in the United States.

The Di Ogosi brothers from Lagos tricked American representative Jordan Demay into sending her a photo pretending to be a girl his age. Come and use the image to blackmail me.

Less than six hours after Jordan started tweeting on Instagram, he committed suicide.

Sextortion, a fast-growing cybercrime often associated with Nigeria, marks the first successful sextortion prosecution against a Nigerian in the United States.

“I can’t say we have a perfect system, and no country has a perfect system. We will definitely make improvements.” Together Tok On Top Di Mata.