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US Embassy Issues Fresh Warning To Nigerians Over Visa Violations

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The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a fresh warning to Nigerians travelling to America, urging them to strictly obey all visa rules and immigration regulations to avoid penalties that could affect future travel opportunities.

The warning comes as U.S. authorities continue tightening immigration enforcement, particularly against visa overstays and other forms of non-compliance involving foreign nationals, including Nigerians.

In a message shared on its official X account, the U.S. Mission stressed that compliance with visa conditions remains critical for Nigerians seeking to study, work, or visit the United States.

“Staying compliant with U.S. immigration laws isn’t just the right thing to do; it protects your future and keeps opportunities open for Nigerian travelers.”

The mission noted that Nigerians granted entry into the U.S. must understand that visas come with clear conditions and timelines that must be respected at all times.

According to the embassy, failure to comply with visa conditions could lead to serious consequences, including visa cancellation, denial of future applications, deportation, and long-term travel restrictions.

It advised Nigerian travellers to pay close attention to the duration of stay approved by immigration officers and avoid remaining in the country beyond the authorised period.

“Whether you’re studying, working, or visiting the United States, always honour the terms of your visa. Follow the rules. Stay only for as long as you are authorized. Keep your documents updated. Make choices that safeguard your dreams.”

The mission added that respecting immigration procedures benefits not only individual travellers but also strengthens trust in the broader visa system between both countries.

“When you respect the process, everyone wins.”

The latest advisory comes amid growing restrictions imposed by Washington in response to concerns over visa abuse, overstays, and compliance issues involving Nigerian travellers.

Over the past year, the U.S. government has introduced stricter visa measures affecting Nigerians across several categories.

In January 2026, the U.S. government partially suspended the issuance of several visa categories to Nigerians outside the country who did not already possess valid visas. The affected categories included B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M, and J student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas.

The decision followed concerns over overstay figures involving Nigerian nationals. U.S. authorities cited data showing a 5.56 percent overstay rate for visitor visas and an 11.90 percent overstay rate for student and exchange visa holders.

Earlier in 2025, the United States also reduced the validity period of most non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians to three months with single entry. The move marked a major shift from the previous visa regime and affected thousands of prospective travellers.

American authorities linked that decision to reciprocity concerns, visa abuse, documentation irregularities, and rising cases of overstays.

In addition to visa restrictions, the U.S. has strengthened its screening process for applicants. Visa applicants are now subjected to tougher background checks, including stricter verification of travel history, documentation, and social media disclosures.

The embassy also warned that individuals found guilty of visa fraud, misrepresentation, or submission of false information could face severe penalties, including permanent bans and possible criminal prosecution.

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Tinubu Never Promised Nigerians 24-Hour Electricity – Onanuga

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The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has denied claims that his principal promised to provide 24-hour electricity for Nigerians during the 2023 presidential campaign.

According to Onanuga, the claims that Tinubu promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity during the 2023 election campaign are a misrepresentation of his words.

Naija News reports that Onanuga offered the clarification in a statement on Monday, 22nd June, as part of his response to calls by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for Tinubu to resign from office over worsening security and economic conditions in Nigeria.

Obi said that, as an example of leadership and accountability, Tinubu should resign just like the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation over growing dissatisfaction from citizens.

As part of the alleged failures of the Tinubu government, Obi cited insecurity, unreliable electricity supply and worsening economic hardship.

Particularly, he mentioned that President Tinubu, in the build-up to the 2023 elections, had promised Nigerians 24-hour electricity and told them not to re-elect him if he failed to keep the campaign promise.

However, in response to the call and submission, presidential spokesperson Onanuga accused Obi of misrepresenting Tinubu’s 2023 campaign promise. He said the president did not promise 24-hour electricity for all Nigerians.

The presidential media aide added that those claiming Tinubu made such a promise are simply being mischievous.

According to him, Tinubu was addressing Lagosians during his campaign speech, and the context was about paying estimated electricity bills.

“Concerning President Tinubu’s campaign promises on power supply, it is misleading for Peter Obi to parrot the claim that candidate Tinubu guaranteed 24-hour electricity for all. What he actually said on that occasion in Lagos and which Obi and his followers have consistently misquoted, for the sake of mischief, was: “Whichever way, by all means necessary, you will have electricity, and you will not pay for estimated bills anymore. A promise made will be a promise kept. If I don’t keep the promise and I come for a second term, don’t vote for me—unless I give you adequate reasons why I couldn’t deliver.,” Onanuga said.

To justify his principal’s performance in office, specifically in the power sector, the presidential aide said Tinubu’s administration had signed the Electricity Act, expanded prepaid meter deployment and invested in alternative power sources.

 

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FG Convenes Emergency Meeting Over Rising Cooking Gas Prices Nationwide

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The Federal Government has moved to address the growing concern over rising cooking gas prices across Nigeria by convening an emergency stakeholders’ meeting aimed at finding immediate and long-term solutions.

The meeting was called amid fresh concerns over the continuous increase in the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly known as cooking gas, which has placed additional financial pressure on millions of Nigerian households already battling rising living costs.

Key players across the gas value chain attended the meeting. They included government officials, regulators, gas producers, marketers, terminal operators, and major industry associations. Discussions focused on the factors driving the sharp rise in prices and practical steps needed to improve supply and stabilize the market.

Speaking during the meeting, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, described LPG as a major source of energy for homes across the country. She said cooking gas remains critical to Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals, especially as the government continues efforts to encourage cleaner and safer energy alternatives.

Oyekunle noted that the rising cost of cooking gas is becoming a serious concern for many families. According to her, the increase is not only affecting household spending but is also pushing up the cost of essential goods and services.

She stressed the need for urgent intervention to prevent further strain on consumers.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said President Bola Tinubu is closely monitoring developments in the sector and is concerned about the impact of rising LPG prices on Nigerians.

Ekpo revealed that the President has directed all relevant agencies and stakeholders to take immediate and proactive steps to tackle the situation.

He said while increasing supply remains important, it must be supported by better logistics, improved infrastructure, and transparent pricing systems to ensure that consumers feel the impact of any intervention.

According to the minister, solving the problem will require coordinated efforts across the entire gas supply chain.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Rabiu Umar, pointed to high landing costs as one of the major reasons behind the current surge in LPG prices.

He explained that several market factors, including import costs, foreign exchange challenges, transportation expenses, and supply bottlenecks, continue to affect pricing.

Despite the challenges, Umar expressed confidence that ongoing efforts by regulators and industry operators would begin to ease market pressure in the coming weeks.

He added that the authority is actively engaging producers and marketers to boost domestic supply, strengthen market monitoring, and improve product availability nationwide.

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Senate Holds Emergency Session To Consider State Police Bill Amid Rising Insecurity

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he Nigerian Senate is set to reconvene on Tuesday for an emergency plenary session to deliberate on the proposed State Police Bill, a major constitutional reform widely seen as critical to addressing the country’s worsening security crisis.

The emergency sitting, scheduled to hold by 11:00 a.m. at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, comes at a time when insecurity continues to escalate across different parts of the country.

errorist attacks, banditry, kidnappings, communal violence, and other criminal activities have continued to raise concerns among citizens and security stakeholders.

DAILY VOICE understands that the State Police Bill will be one of the major items for consideration as lawmakers return briefly from recess.

Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed that the bill remains a top legislative priority due to its importance to national security.

“The Senate will be considering matters of public interest, especially national security. The State Police legislation will undoubtedly be a priority issue,” Adaramodu said.

According to him, lawmakers are expected to review reports from the committee currently handling the bill as part of efforts to move the proposal forward.

“The Senate is desirous of partnering with other arms of government in curbing the undesirable activities of bandits, terrorists and other peace-threatening marauders,” he added.

The emergency session follows concerns over delays in the constitutional amendment process after the Senate went on a three-week recess without concluding work on the bill.

The proposed legislation seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List. If approved, this would allow state governments to establish and operate their own police formations alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

Supporters of the bill believe decentralising policing will significantly improve local security operations and strengthen intelligence gathering at the grassroots level.

However, because the proposal requires amendments to the 1999 Constitution, it must secure support from at least two-thirds of Senate members before moving to the next legislative stage.

If successfully passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, a conference committee from both chambers will harmonise the bill before transmitting it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for final approval.

The recall notice for senators was contained in a June 15 memo issued by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, following directives from Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The notice made clear that the session was called to address urgent national concerns, particularly issues surrounding security.

“The purpose of this emergency sitting is to enable the Senate to consider matters of urgent national importance, particularly issues relating to national security and other critical concerns that require immediate legislative attention,” the notice read.

DAILY VOICE reports that the Senate had earlier passed the State Police Bill for second reading on June 11 before referring it to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further work.

Leading debate during the second reading, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele argued that state police has become increasingly necessary due to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

He maintained that officers recruited and stationed within their local environments would better understand the language, culture, and unique security realities of their communities, thereby improving operational efficiency.

Bamidele identified terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder clashes, armed robbery, cultism, communal conflicts, pipeline vandalism, and cybercrime as major threats driving the push for decentralised policing.

He also addressed concerns about possible abuse of state police by governors for political purposes.

According to him, the bill includes multiple safeguards to prevent misuse and ensure accountability.

Some of these measures include the creation of State Police Service Commissions, oversight by the Federal Police Service Commission, legislative confirmation for top appointments, national policing standards, and constitutional intervention mechanisms in cases of breakdown of law and order.

Several lawmakers across party lines, including senators from Northern Nigeria, have openly backed the proposal, insisting that the current centralised policing structure is no longer sufficient to tackle security threats effectively.

Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno also noted that the legislation could help provide proper legal regulation for vigilante groups currently operating in several communities across the country.

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