We Won’t Bow To Pressure To Accept Venezuelan Deportees – FG Tells Trump

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has vowed that the country will not cave in to pressure from the Donald Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from the United States.

Tuggar, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, said Nigeria has enough challenges of its own and won’t be a dumping ground for Venezuelan prisoners deported from the US amid Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migrants.

The minister also said the tariff hike threat by U.S President Donald Trump might not have to do with Nigeria’s participation in the BRICS summit.

It would be recalled that Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu joined other world leaders to attend the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7, 2025.

On the final day of the summit held by the 11-member economic and political force with Chinese influence, Trump announced his decision to hit “anti-American” BRICS nations – including China, India, and Nigeria – with an extra 10 percent trade tariff.

Tuggar said, “The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in the BRICS meeting.

“You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons.

“It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people.”

The minister said the Tinubu administration has started talks with the US over the fresh visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian nationals. He, however, described as regrettable, the fresh visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian travellers by the United Arab Emirates.

Olamilekan Adigun

Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.

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