THE United States Mission in Nigeria has warned that anyone found guilty of corruption would be denied entry into the US, regardless of their wealth or social standing.
The Mission announced this on Monday through its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“Fighting corruption knows no borders or limits on accountability. Even when high-profile individuals engage in corruption, they can be barred from receiving US visas,” it said.
The statement reinforced the US commitment to global anti-corruption efforts, coming amid President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration policies.
The ICIR reports that the US has imposed multiple visa bans and restrictions on Nigerians in recent years.
In 2020, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Nigeria that applied solely for immigrant visas, leaving official, business, tourism, and student visas unaffected.
Similarly, in May 2023, the US announced visa bans on persons who disrupted the general elections in Nigeria.
The ICIR reported in January that Trump administration started a visa policy and illegal immigrants’ clampdown in the US.
Since he took over power on January 20, Trump has made good his vow to carry out mass deportations of immigrants among other sweeping reforms by his government.
On January 28, the Enforcement and Removal Operations division of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that about 3,690 Nigerians in the US could be deported.
The Trump administration imposed a new fee of $100, 000 on H-1B visas for foreigners on September 19.
The White House clarified that the new $100,000 fee would not apply to existing visa holders re-entering the country.
It added that Trump’s action was intended to address risks to US national security.
“President Trump is imposing higher costs on companies seeking to use the H-1B programme in order to address the abuse of the programme, stop the undercutting of wages, and protect our national security,” it said.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.